As devastating wildfires have destroyed huge swaths of Los Angeles County, incinerating homes and leaving at least 27 people dead, fire and law enforcement authorities have also had to contend with multiple cases of arson.Authorities have arrested at least eight people accused of setting new, small fires in the days since the larger fires erupted, including suspects setting trees, bushes, leaves and trash ablaze, officials said.On the evening of Jan. 14, a woman was arrested after allegedly setting multiple piles of rubbish and trash on fire, Jim McDonnell, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said at a news conference last week.When the woman was arrested, she admitted to setting fires and said 맥스카지노�she enjoyed causing chaos and destruction,맥스카지노� according to McDonnell.Another suspect, arrested earlier on the same day after allegedly setting a fire in a tree, admitted to starting the fire 맥스카지노�because he liked the smell of burning leaves,맥스카지노� said the police chief.맥스카지노�There are people out there who 맥스카지노� this is what they do,맥스카지노� said McDonnell. 맥스카지노�If you know of those people, please give us a call before something really bad happens.맥스카지노�Another suspect was arrested Jan. 12 for an outstanding felony warrant for arson by North Hollywood officers, after using a barbecue lighter to light fires, according to McDonnell.The string of arrests come as authorities continue to investigate the causes of the larger wildfires, combing the wreckage for clues. Authorities have not shared any specific information to suggest any individuals arrested for arson caused major fires.Video below: Palisades couple loses their home to a wildfire for the second time in more than 30 yearsAt a news conference Jan. 12, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said 맥스카지노�we do not have any information that there맥스카지노�s any connection맥스카지노� between the Eaton and Palisades fires, which rank as the first- and second-most destructive fires in Southern California history. Firefighters are still working to contain the two largest blazes.About 95% of fires in California are caused by humans, whether through an intentional act of arson, a downed power line, or a backyard barbecue party or fireworks celebration gone awry, Cal Fire officials said.A total of 109 arson arrests were made in 2024, according to statistics from Cal Fire. The incidents can cause major problems. Arson-caused wildfires burned around 44,609 acres in 2020, the agency reported. 'They think it맥스카지노�s a perfect time to do it,' experts sayIt is not unusual to see other crimes like arson in the aftermath of a natural disaster, said Bob Duval, a fire investigator and Northeast Regional Director for the National Fire Protection Association.맥스카지노�They think it맥스카지노�s a perfect time to do it, because everybody맥스카지노�s tied up at the major fire scenes,맥스카지노� Duval told CNN. 맥스카지노�There won맥스카지노�t be any police, there won맥스카지노�t be any firefighters or any security.맥스카지노�Similarly, William Weinberg, a California-based criminal defense attorney who has worked on arson cases, told CNN copycat crimes are 맥스카지노�really, really common.맥스카지노�People who set fires in the aftermath of a massive wildfire may be more 맥스카지노�attention-seeking맥스카지노� than trying to cause harm, Weinberg explained.There is also 맥스카지노�a strong mental health component맥스카지노� playing into many arson cases, he said.A person who commits arson might be a 맥스카지노�marginal person, a person who맥스카지노�s on the edge of society, who feels unconnected to society in some way,맥스카지노� Weinberg said. 맥스카지노�Maybe they맥스카지노�re homeless, maybe they맥스카지노�ve got persistent mental health problems, they don맥스카지노�t feel connected to the rest of society.맥스카지노�Duval said arson may stem from a variety of motivations, including mental health challenges, anger, revenge, 맥스카지노�trying to make a statement,맥스카지노� or 맥스카지노�mischief맥스카지노� and 맥스카지노�blowing off steam.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s an unfortunate reality nowadays, when there맥스카지노�s fires like this,맥스카지노� the fire investigator said. 맥스카지노�That there맥스카지노�s always going to be in the days following, some sort of disturbance or some sort of distraction, whether it맥스카지노�s looting or arson.맥스카지노�And the crimes may draw much-needed resources away from the large wildfires devastating Los Angeles County.맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s pulling away resources from the other major fires,맥스카지노� said Duval. And in arson cases, 맥스카지노�it becomes a crime scene.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�That맥스카지노�s another case number for that investigator, whether it맥스카지노�s fire, law enforcement or both, they have to investigate it,맥스카지노� he said.They would face 맥스카지노�maximum punishments,맥스카지노� DA saysOther crimes have also diverted law enforcement attention amid the blazes. Two people were arrested on Saturday for impersonating firefighters while driving a fake fire truck near the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff맥스카지노�s Department. One of the suspects has a criminal history in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson, officials said.Some 40 cases of looting have also been identified, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told CNN.To ward off potential criminal activity and assist law enforcement efforts, thousands of National Guard members have been deployed to Southern California. Authorities have vowed to prosecute arson and other crimes committed during the wildfires to the fullest extent possible.맥스카지노�We sent a warning early on to all would-be looters, to all would-be arsonists, to people who are engaging in any type of fire-related crime, whether it맥스카지노�s price gouging or these internet scams, that they would get arrested, they would be prosecuted, and they would see maximum punishments,맥스카지노� Hochman said. 맥스카지노�That맥스카지노�s what exactly you맥스카지노�re going to see.맥스카지노�Weinberg said cases of arson injuring or killing someone tend to be punished the most harshly, followed by those damaging structures, and others burning 맥스카지노�open land.맥스카지노� If someone sets a fire that kills someone, they can be charged with homicide, he added.Arson causing 맥스카지노�great bodily injury맥스카지노� to another person can be punished by up to nine years in prison, and arson burning an 맥스카지노�inhabited structure or inhabited property맥스카지노� by up to eight years, according to the California Penal Code.Punishments may also vary based on motivation, according to Weinberg.맥스카지노�Mental state is key,맥스카지노� he explained. 맥스카지노�Reckless versus intentional, malicious.맥스카지노�Although destructive crimes like arson in the aftermath of a massive crisis may be shocking, Weinberg said, they are not uncommon.맥스카지노�There맥스카지노�s nothing new under the sun,맥스카지노� he said.