An arsonist burned several portable toilets in San Francisco over the weekend in what seems to have become an annual ritual in the city.
An arrest was made after Saturday’s fires, which occurred at about 7 p.m. at a construction site in the 400 block of Mission Bay Boulevard South, near the UCSF Mission Bay campus, according to police.
Police said seven toilets and three hand-washing stations were destroyed.
A witness to the fires saw a man climbing out of the construction site over a fence, according to police. Officers detained the man, and the witness confirmed he was the same person.
The 27-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was arrested, according to police.
In the fall and winter of 2008-09, 27 portable toilets were burned throughout the city; the next year, several more went up in flames.
No injuries were reported in any of the fires, but the fire department warned that the blazes were more than just a nuisance because they had the potential to spread to nearby trees and homes. The lavatories also cost about $2,500 apiece.
San Francisco fire spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge said Saturday’s arson spree was likely an isolated case.
“Based on the circumstances of the incident it does not appear to be related to the previous arsons,” she said.
Ari Burack, Bay City News
