CARS UP IN FLAMES SIX AUTOS DESTROYED IN COMPLEX FIRE.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A suspicious early morning fire at a Lancaster apartment complex destroyed six parked cars, damaged eight others and threatened an apartment building.

Monday's fire was the fourth of its kind since 2002 at the Montecito Apartments, but the suspect in the three 2002 fires can't be responsible - he's serving a 10-year prison sentence.

``All the gas tanks were exploding,'' said resident Wally Backman, whose apartment overlooked the burning carport and whose Ford pickup truck was heavily damaged by the fire. ``It was hot. It was a hot fire.''

Ignited sometime before 3 a.m., the fire destroyed a garage and an attached carport and gutted five compacts and a small sport utility vehicle parked in the carport.

The heat melted paint, rear bumpers and taillights on eight vehicles parked across a driveway, scorched five trees, and melted plastic window blinds inside the nearest apartment.

Firefighters quenched the flames before they ignited the apartment or the cars parked outside the carport.

People first reported seeing smoke coming from either the side of the garage or from a Volkswagen Rabbit parked in the carport next to the garage wall, said Bruce Ray, the apartment complex's maintenance supervisor.

Fire officials said they did not know what caused the fire, but sheriff's arson detectives were called in to investigate.

``Somebody had to set it on fire,'' said Backman, who is manager of the Lancaster JetHawks baseball team.

Residents complained that it took firefighters 30 minutes to reach the blaze and that they had to cut a lock at the gated complex to get inside. Fire officials on Monday were unable to say when the fire was reported or when the first unit arrived.

The apartment complex in the 800 block of West Avenue L in 2002 had three carport fires that caused $150,000 damage. Robert Hamilton of Lancaster was arrested in December 2002 and a month later pleaded no contest to one count of arson and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Residents of the Montecito Apartments survey the damage of a suspicious fire that destroyed or damaged 14 cars.

(2 -- color) Ignited sometime before 3 a.m., the fire destroyed a garage and an attached carport and gutted five compacts and a small sport utility vehicle parked in the carport.

(3 -- color) Residents view damage Monday to cars at the Montecito Apartments in Lancaster. Firefighters said they did not know what caused the blaze.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer