SACRAMENTO – The manhunt is underway for an arsonist accused of setting several fires in a Sacramento park Monday afternoon.
At least ten fires were deliberately set in Del Paso Park.
Cindy Pridmore lives across the street from the park and said firefighters have battled several fires in the natural habitat.
“I saw fire trucks all around the baseball field, down here at the other end, over there, by the bridge,” she said as she showed us the area.
A sheriff’s helicopter and police searched the area, but investigators believe the suspect escaped.
“It will be worrying when I go to bed tonight,” Pridmore said.
Investigators believe the arsonist moved clockwise around the 30-hectare park and that the series of fires was stopped after the police arrived.
Neighbors like Ron Jellison said they have often complained about illegal activity in the park. He is frustrated that the city is not taking more action.
“We only send a ranger out here if we make a huge fuss and that goes all the way to the mayor’s office,” he said.
Jellison said the park also needs more fire protection.
“We tried to install fire hydrants in the park,” he said. “There are no fire hydrants in this part of the park.”
Del Paso Park is operated by the City of Sacramento, but is surrounded on three sides by unincorporated county land.
Because the park is isolated, many residents want Sacramento County to take control of it. The Board of Supervisors has already offered to do so, but the proposal has not been approved by the Sacramento City Council.
Since the suspect is still at large, neighbors want increased patrols in the area.
“Someone is setting fire here who is not in the right. That is why there is a heightened level of concern,” Pridmore said.
Two weeks ago, the City Council approved spending more than $3 million to renovate the park’s baseball field, which is overgrown with weeds and has not been used for years.
