Arsonist Arrested Following a Series of Small Fires Set Near an Elementary School

During the third week of September 2024, the Santa Rosa Fire Department (SRFD) and Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) responded to a series of brush fires in the area of Southwest Community Park located at 1698 Hearn Avenue. Between the dates of September 16 and September 20, four separate fires were started during afternoon hours at different portions of the park. Each fire was quickly extinguished by responding firefighters and no structures were damaged. SRFD Fire Inspectors responded to each incident looking for burn patterns and evidence to assist in the investigation. The first three fires burned a total of less than one acre. The most recent fire on September 20, was started at approximately 1:00 pm on the property for Meadow View Elementary School, 2665 Dutton Meadow, and burned approximately one-quarter acre of brush to the rear of the school’s property before being extinguished. The school is adjacent to Southwest Community Park.

Because the previous three fires had been started in such close proximity in location and time of each other, SRFD maintained a heavy presence in the areas around Southwest Community Park on Friday. This most recent fire was quickly extinguished, and the on-duty SRFD Fire Inspector at the scene noticed a suspicious man in the area. The Fire Inspector attempted to contact the suspicious male however he left abruptly avoiding contact. With a detailed description of the man and his vehicle, detectives from the SRPD Property Crimes Investigations Team (PCI) responded and took over the investigation. PCI Detectives quickly located the male’s vehicle parked at a hotel in the 2600 block of Corby Avenue and began surveillance.

Students and staff at Meadow View Elementary School were instructed to shelter-in-place during and after the fire due to heavy smoke in the area. No one was injured and no school structures or nearby residences were threatened or damaged by the fire. The shelter-in-place was lifted once the smoke cleared the area.

Detectives were able to identify a possible suspect and authored a search warrant for his hotel room. At approximately 9:50 pm, detectives served the search warrant at the hotel room of James Conforti, a 61-year-old resident of Santa Rosa. Detectives located clothing matching witness descriptions, digital evidence of the suspect’s location at the time of the fires, and several lighters.

Following the search warrant, Conforti was brought to SRPD and interviewed by detectives as the investigation continued. Detectives were able to conclude Conforti was responsible for igniting each of the four fires.

Conforti was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail for four counts of arson per 451(c) PC and an outstanding misdemeanor warrant from Santa Clara County for a hit-and-run collision per 20002(a) VC.

A Sonoma County Superior Court Judge approved a bail enhancement of $150,000 for Conforti.

The Santa Rosa Police Department is grateful for the collaboration and assistance from the Santa Rosa Fire Department in this investigation. Their observations were crucial in providing our detectives the leads necessary to identify and arrest the arsonist, and their quick response to each fire prevented anyone from being injured or further property from being damaged.

Santa Rosa Police Department case numbers 24-11147, 24-11054.

Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.