From 1984 through 1991, thousands of fires were intentionally set from Southern California

to the Central Coast to the Central Valley and countless places in between.

Homes, businesses, dry brush, nothing was off limits.

The arsonists left virtually nothing behind in the way of evidence that could ever be traced

back to him for years.

The damage and destruction soared into the millions, countless millions, and four innocent

lives were lost.

The arsonist was brazen, he set fires with impunity, and he managed to get away with

it for a long time until he finally slipped up and left behind a clue that would eventually

lead investigators right to him.

It was then that it became clear why this pyromaniac was able to set fire after fire, after

fire, while managing to elude capture.

He was one of them, often investigating the very fires that he was setting, busting arsonist

while moonlighting as one, driven by a desire for attention, to be a hero, to be the very

best at arson investigation, to garner recognition for his dedication to his job while he steadily

rose through the ranks.

But there was also an insatiable desire to feed his own sadomasochistic, sexual urges,

which for him was to watch things burn.

It took investigators years to catch on to him.

And even when he did come up as a possible suspect, nobody who knew him or worked with him,

were even willing to entertain the possibility that he was the arsonist that they sought.

He's only emboldened him even more and allowed for the devastation and destruction to continue

...