A judge on Thursday set bail at $1.5 million for the 36-year-old man arrested on suspicion of lighting a series of vehicle fires across Contra Costa County.
Contra Costa County Fire District investigators said they have evidence James Bishop III, a Pittsburg resident, set 11 separate fires in the county since the beginning of this year, allegedly using an accelerant to ignite cars parked in driveways.
Fire officials at a Wednesday press conference said at least 30 other car fires are tied to Bishop III. Officials added they believe there are more related incidents and anticipate additional charges could be filed.
Investigators said surveillance video of Bishop III's Toyota Rav-4 was captured near several of the scenes, which helped lead them to the suspect. Bishop III was arrested over the past weekend a few blocks from a car fire that had just been set in Benicia.
A Thursday arraignment was moved to May 26.
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Last week, seven cars parked across Contra Costa County went up in flames under the cover of darkness. An investigation coordinated by several law enforcement agencies eventually ended with Bishop III's arrest in Benicia early Saturday.
Fire officials have said the blazes, which ranged in location from Lafayette to Brentwood, were all related.
Fire officials are still actively investigating the series of fires and are asking for the public to contact the department if they have information on any car fires since the beginning of the year.
Since Bishop III was arrested, vehicle fire reports have fallen back to a normal level, officials said.
