Sixteen more arson fires overnight

Los Angeles police and fire officials suspect that 35 or more suspicious fires reported since Friday morning have been set by more than one arsonist. The locations of the fires spread last night. For a time, the LAPD went on citywide alert due to the outbreak of car torchings that get the fires started. Recap this morning from the L.A. Times' Andrew Blankstein:

On Friday morning, 21 fires were started in a relatively small area around Hollywood and West Hollywood. On Friday night and Saturday morning, 16 more fires were reported. They were similar to the ones in Hollywood but were spread out over a much larger area.

Eight of the fires occurred in North Hollywood, three in the foothill area of the San Fernando Valley, three in the Wilshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, one on the Westside and one in Lennox.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that it would be difficult -- but not impossible -- for one person to set all those fires. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was open, said it's possible there is more than one arsonist or that some fires are the work of copycats.

One source said a single arsonist would have to be a "superman" to have set all the blazes Saturday morning.

Officials are looking for a male driving a white and tan mid-1990s Lexus ES300, but they would not give details.