SAN FRANCISCO -- Clorox Co. and San Francisco officials conducted a "potty patrol" Tuesday to raise public awareness about a serial arsonist who's believed to be responsible for charring nearly 30 porta-potties in recent months.

"We want to raise community awareness and share tips and information an also have some fun," said David Kellis, a spokesman for Clorox, the Oakland-based cleaning products manufacturer.

San Francisco officials say that the portable toilets that have been set ablaze have left a charred trail of waste and the result has been more than $50,000 in property damage and potential fire hazards.

Clorox's Family of Toilet Products, with the support of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, the San Francisco Fire Department and the city's Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) network, staged the potty patrol among outhouse locations in the city's Jackson Square, North Beach and Levi Plaza areas.

The patrol started at Sansome Street and Pacific Avenue at 11 a.m., proceeding to Front Street and Broadway and to Pier 3 on The Embarcadero before returning to Sansome and Pacific at noon.

Clorox is offering a $5,000 reward and a year's supply of toilet products for tips leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the porta-potty fires.