Arson investigators vow to get justice for victims : The Press-Enterprise

Three years ago today, investigators began a search for an arsonist as the Old Fire raged out of control on its way to becoming San Bernardino County's worst blaze.

They never made an arrest. Now, heavy-hearted investigators are faced with an eerily similar assignment as they search for the person who set the deadly Esperanza Fire. They say the suspect they're seeking likely knew exactly how quickly a small fire -- set in a strategic spot and backed by strong winds -- would spread. As in the 91,000-acre Old Fire, an arrest might be difficult, area arson investigators said. The 19,000-acre Esperanza Fire was set in the dead of night in a remote area near Banning, about 18 miles west of Palm Springs. Yet investigators and elected officials are bent on getting justice for the four firefighters who lost their lives Thursday when their engine was overcome by flames.