BREAKING NEWS

SUSPECT IN LA's BIGGEST FIRE IN DECADES MAY NOT FACE CHARGES:

LA DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS CASE STILL UNDER REVIEW

(August 7st, 2007 8:30AM PST)

BY ERIC LONGABARDI

ERSNews has learned exclusively that a homeless person suspected of starting the massive Griffith Park fire on May 8th, 2007 might not be charged criminally with that fire. The fire burned over 800 acres of the park and came precariously close to some of Los Angeles famed landmarks such as the Hollywood Sign and the Griffith Park Observatory. The fire caused an estimated 50 million dollars in damages to the park and various structures.

The scene near where the May 8th Los Angeles Griffith Park fire started

According to knowledgeable sources, Vicki Israel, the acting General Manager of the Los Angeles Recreation & Parks Department late last week told colleagues that the homeless man suspected of starting the fire would not be charged "because he is homeless and has not means of paying for the damages." The homeless man, still unidentified, is believed to have fallen asleep while smoking in a high danger area for fire in the park. The suspect was badly burned and was rushed to a local hospital by ambulance just after the fire started on May 8th 2007. The City of Los Angeles later cited him for smoking in high fire danger zone.

The scorched hillside near where homeless man was severely burned after falling asleep

Los Angeles District Attorney spokesman Sandi Gibbons told ERSNews yesterday that the DA's review of the case is still ongoing and should be completed "within a month" She also told ERS that the DA has not determined whether or not the man suspected of starting the fire would be criminally charged.

The city of Los Angeles just last week enacted a new law to prohibit smoking in all areas of Griffith Park. The ordinance also applies to all of the city's other parks.