ARSON IS SUSPECTED AFTER FIRE IN CARPORT.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Arson is suspected in a fire early Tuesday that destroyed four cars parked in the carport of a Lancaster apartment building, fire officials said.

Damage was estimated at $25,000 to the vehicles, among them a classic 1954 Chevrolet wagon. More cars were damaged by the heat from the flames.

``Sheriff's arson investigators are handling the case and it does look like a suspicious circumstances fire according to the report,'' said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Ron Haralson.

The fire broke out about 12:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of West Avenue J-3. By the time fire crews arrived, the carport and the vehicles were engulfed.

The intense heat melted plastic moldings, bumpers and tail lights on vehicles parked on the other side of the parking lot and melted plastic window blinds on nearby apartments. The carport itself collapsed as crews extinguished the flames.

On July 26, a fire believed to be deliberately set broke out in a carport of the Montecito Apartments in the 800 block of West Avenue L, but officials on Tuesday said they had no evidence linking the two. The carport and six cars were destroyed in that blaze. Three other fires at the same building in 2002 caused and more than $150,000 in damage. Robert Hamilton of Lancaster was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with those fires.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sheriff's Deputies Mark Feickert, left, and Miguel Oretga look at a sport utility vehicle damaged in a fire early Tuesday in a carport at a Lancaster apartment building in the 1300 block of West Avenue J-3.

(2 -- 3) A Los Angeles County firefighter trains a stream of water on a vehicle damaged in Tuesday's blaze, above. Arson is the suspected cause of the blaze, which broke out at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The case is under investigation. Four vehicles, left, were destroyed the fire, which caused $25,000 damage.

Paul Weatherman/Special to the Daily News