“Fires” on The Daily Caller

The fire calls started pouring in shortly after midnight. Reports of burning vehicles in carports attached to apartments filled with sleeping residents in Hollywood and West Hollywood — apparently the work of a serial arsonist. (more)

DETROIT—For the past several years, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting the development of electric cars. Now regulators are investigating whether the big battery packs used by one of them pose a safety risk in the event of an accident. (more)

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (AP) — Two days after an explosives-laden house was destroyed in a carefully orchestrated burn that played out on television screens across the country, the site of the so-called “bomb factory” was declared safe Saturday by California authorities. (more)

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Arson caused a fire on Sunday at an Islamic center that was the occasional place of worship for a Somali-born teen who two days ago was arrested on charges of plotting a terror attack in Portland, authorities said. (more)

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Two wildfires burning in Colorado on Friday prompted the evacuations of the homes of 1,700 people as well as more in neighboring foothills where dozens of houses were burned in a blaze last month. (more)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A paroled burglar was convicted Tuesday of murdering a woman and her two daughters in their suburban home during a night of terror that drew comparisons to “In Cold Blood” and bolstered efforts to retain the death penalty in Connecticut. (more)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) — Patrick Yu has had nightmares and headaches since a fireball from a natural gas explosion caused his ceiling to crash down next to him while he slept. (more)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Unlike the blast that led to the massive BP spill, the latest oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico killed no one and sent no crude gushing into the water. (more)

MOSCOW (AP) — The poisonous smog that contributed to a higher death rate in Moscow last week returned to Russia’s capital Sunday, officials said. (more)

KADANOK, Russia (AP) — Some of the devastating wildfires sweeping western Russia are out of control, Russia’s emergency chief said Tuesday, as fears grew there were not enough firefighters to battle them. (more)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Eighteen elderly people died after a fire swept through their old age and frail care center outside of Johannesburg, South African emergency services said Monday, as investigators began digging through the rubble to determine the cause of the fire. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors Co. said Tuesday it was recalling about 1.5 million vehicles worldwide to address a problem with a heated windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire, its second recall over the issue in two years. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Whirlpool Corp.’s Maytag unit is recalling about 1.7 million dishwashers because of a fire hazard. (more)

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — Kanawha County authorities said a marital spat over a late dinner has landed a man in jail on an arson charge. Lt. Sean Crosier of the Sheriff’s Department said 60-year-old Guy Edward Jones came home Sunday and got angry because his wife, Beverly Jones, didn’t have dinner on the table. (more)

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A state investigation says a man suspected of burning down a Maine coffee shop that featured topless waitresses was mad at his girlfriend, who was having an affair with the owner. (more)

A string of suspicious fires that hit the battered city of Flint, Mich., after more than 20 firefighters were laid off and two firehouses closed were meant to “terrorize the community,” the mayor claims. (more)

During its nine years at sea, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig operated by BP suffered a series of spills, fires — even a collision — because of equipment failure, human error and bad weather. It also drilled the world’s deepest offshore well. (more)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP’s Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles says the company welcomes an offer of U.S. military help to end a large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (more)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say they’ve arrested nine people at a radical Jewish settlement in connection with the torching last month of a West Bank mosque. (more)

HOOVER, (AP) — A motel fire in central Alabama has killed four people and fire officials are now trying to find out what started the blaze. (more)