Could a respected fire captain be one of the worst serial arsonists in history?
From master crime writer Joseph Wambaugh comes the extraordinary true story of a fire fighter who may have been, according to US Government profilers, "the most prolific American arsonist of the twentieth century".
Growing up in Los Angeles, John Orr would watch in awe as fire fighters scrambled to put out blazes with seeming disregard for their own lives. One day he would become a fireman himself, and a good one, eventually becoming a fire captain and a respected arson investigator. But there was another unseen life, one that included many women, a need for risk, and a hunger for recognition.
While Orr busted a string of petty arsonists, there was one serial criminal he could not track down. This fire lover used the same simple yet devastating device and was unerring in his execution. His lethal handiwork led to the death of four innocent people and countless millions of dollars worth of property damage.
But after years of terror and destruction, he would make a mistake. He would leave behind a precious clue that investigators would use to lead them to the true identity of the fire lover, to the shock and disbelief of the fire-fighting community.
