Officials: Arson Behind Santiago Fire CA Fires Exclusive--Fed Source: Look to al Qaeda and the Islamic enemy in the U.S. Law enforcement officials will agree that arson is the most difficult of crimes to "prove," especially in terms of identifying the perpetrator(s). The fires this week in Southern California have cost more than $1 billion in lost property and displaced more than a million people, the greatest evacuation California has ever seen. The origin of the massive Santiago Canyon Fire alone has caused an estimated $10 million in damage, burning about 20,000 acres so far and damaging or destroying about 30 structures. That cause of that fire has been officially declared arson, according to federal officials, who identified two separate "points of origin." Currently, the FBI is involved in the primary investigation of the fires, including forensic collection and analysis and scene management.

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