Homeland residents question whether fires throughout town are work of arsonist

HOMELAND, Calif. (KABC) -- Several fires possibly being set intentionally in Homeland in a span of few days is causing many to question whether they are all the work of one arsonist.

Timothy McMahon lives in a mobile home park on Highway 74 at Leon Road. He said his chair was set on fire Tuesday morning and that was not all.

"They lit a fire right at this house, in the house, which we put out, and they lit two more fires in the culvert down there," he said.

Whoever did it didn't stop there as two fires were set at the Seventh-Day Adventist church across the street.

Then, two more fires were set at the Romoland School District. One was by air conditioning units, and the other was near a building in the back. Just up the street at Hemet Fence, a small shed was set on fire.

There was no major damage in any of those fires, but a fire at the Community First Church of God destroyed the sanctuary.

The church pastor, however, said the fire department told him that a preliminary investigation shows the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction.

Still, residents said it's clear that some of these fires were set on purpose.

"We're coming after you, we're going to find you, and you're going to go to jail for it," Homeland resident Timothy McMahon warned.

A spokesperson for the Riverside County Fire Department said they were investigating the fires in question.