WOODLAND HILLS - Los Angeles Fire Department investigators have declared a fast-moving fire in a hillside home Monday afternoon to be an act of arson, and are seeking the public's help in apprehending those responsible.

The fire, reported by an astute neighbor at 1:03 PM on Monday, December 19, 2011, brought 45 Los Angeles Firefighters to the unoccupied split-level home at 5136 Llano Drive in Woodland Hills.

Firefighters quickly navigated narrow and winding streets south of Ventura Boulevard to find heavy flames on both the street-level top floor and the floor beneath that compromised the 2,292 square-foot residence.

An aggressive and well-coordinated attack on the fire confined flames within the 47 year-old structure. Firefighters had the blaze extinguished in just 25 minutes and no injuries were reported.

Fire heavily impacted both levels of the non-fire sprinklered home, and preliminary damage estimates exceed $300,000.

LAFD Investigators, assisted by an accelerant detecting canine, performed a comprehensive on-site investigation, leading them to declare the fire a deliberate act. Anyone with information related to this crime is asked to contact the LAFD Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section at (213) 893-9800, or lafdarson@lacity.org

Dispatched Units: E84 RA84 E305 T105 E72 RA93 EM17 BC17 E100 AR2 E93 T93 E293 BC10 DC2 EA1 AR12

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department