Authorities have identified and arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for a series of fires set early Thursday morning in East Long Beach that appeared to target American flags, according to Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jack Crabtree.

Further details about the suspect were not immediately available.

The Long Beach Fire Department first found out about the fires when they responded to reports of a vehicle fire in the 2800 block of Iroquois Avenue around 3:28 a.m. Thursday, Crabtree said.

According to Crabtree, a fire was set to a flag on the front porch of a home which fell on the car’s convertible top and set it ablaze. The vehicle was parked in the driveway of the home and caused some exterior damage to the front porch, he said.

After the initial call this morning, the LBFD received multiple calls for fires outside of homes in the same neighborhood and found that several flags were also set on fire, said Crabtree.

Ring doorbell camera footage captured at one resident’s house shows a person walking up her driveway at 3:19 a.m. and intentionally setting fire to the American flag hanging from her front porch. A few minutes later, at 3:32 a.m., a neighbor ran over to alert her about the vehicle fire next door.

“We felt total shock … just wondering who would do something like this,” said the resident, who asked not to be identified by name.

Crabtree said investigators consider the blaze to be arson but could not confirm whether the suspect only targeted American flags or how many homes were affected as the incident is still under investigation.

Thursday morning, there were several empty, scorched flagpoles outside of homes on Iroquois and Hackett avenue, which is one block to the west. Some American flags were partially burned while others, including sports flags, were left unscathed.

Brad Mahlstedt lives on Iroquois Avenue and was alerted by police of the fire set to his flag around 5 a.m. Police told him his home was the fourteenth to be hit, Mahlstedt said.

On Hackett Avenue, a scorched flag pole was the only thing left of another resident’s American flag. The neighbor asked not to be identified while authorities investigated the incident but said she was awakened at 5:50 a.m. by LBFD arson investigators who told her that only American flags or military flags were hit.

“It’s such a safe street. … It’s unreal,” said Mahlstedt.

If you were the victim of a similar crime or had your flag burned recently, LBFD officials asked that you call the arson hotline at 562-570-2582.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that a suspect has been arrested.

UPDATE: Authorities reopen Bluff Heights roads after FBI evacuation