Three Mysterious Fires Erupt in Little Saigon

WESTMINSTER —  Authorities are looking into the possibility of arson in three fires that broke out mysteriously about the same time Sunday night in Little Saigon.

Officials at the scene said Sunday night they would try to determine if there is any connection between the fires and a dispute over two separate Tet festivals planned to usher in the lunar new year this weekend.

The fires were reported about 9:20 p.m. Firefighters called a third alarm when one of the fires consumed a paper storage facility for a newspaper in the 9300 block of Kramer Avenue. The two other fires involved a large trash bin and a storage area outside the building.

No one was reported injured late Sunday.

Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Larry Drake told reporters that arson investigators would investigate all possibilities, including the feud over the Tet festivals.

“It’s all a possibility,” he said.

“Obviously, there is a lot going on in the city,” said Fire Capt. Dan Young. He also said investigators would look into the possibility that transients may have set the fires.

Arson investigators were called to the scene and were expected to remain most of the night sifting through the rubble.

The Tet festivals, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, are expected to draw as many as 250,000.

Organizers of the two groups sponsoring the festivals have accused each other of undermining their events.

In another incident that might be related to the dispute, Councilman Tony Lam’s restaurant was set ablaze last week. He suggested the culprit may have set the fire to protest his involvement in the city-backed festivities. A $5,000 reward has been offered in that case.

Tet, which begins today, is the most important religious and cultural holiday for those of Vietnamese descent. The event has been celebrated for 15 years in Orange County, home of the largest Vietnamese population outside Southeast Asia.

This year’s festivals are sponsored by the city of Westminster and the Vietnamese Community of Southern California, a political and social service agency that claims to represent the interests of the 300,000 Vietnamese from San Diego to Ventura County.

The events will be one mile apart.