VIDEO/PHOTOS: An arson investigation was underway in Oakland on Monday, after the large Christmas tree at Jack London Square was torched overnight. The Oakland Fire Department said vandals apparently used a spray can accelerant and lighter to set the 52-foot tree on fire.
Fire officials told KTVU crime reporter Henry Lee that when crews arrived at about 1:20 a.m. Monday, the fire had reached all the way to the top of the tree, which was partially engulfed in flames.
"Approximately 10 percent of the base was burning," said Mike Hunt, Fire Department spokesman.
It took five to 10 minutes to extinguish the fire, and officials said that the close proximity of Oakland Fire's Station 2 to Jack London Square helped with the quick response and reaction to the fire.