Officials suspect two truck fires set deliberately

Costa Mesa fire officials are investigating whether two pick-up trucks that caught fire early Monday were sparked by an arsonist, authorities said.

At about 3:30 a.m., a resident in the 1900 block of Wallace Avenue called 9-1-1 and reported two gardening trucks parked on the street were on fire, police said.

The trucks were near each other and appeared to catch fire in the same way, investigators said. One had shrubs and debris in the back that caught fire, and a few cars down, the area around the second truck’s tool kit was also ablaze, Lt. Paul Dondero said. Firefighters quickly put out the blazes but believe the two were not coincidental because they happened so close to each other, firefighters said.

— Joseph Serna