EL SOBRANTE, Calif. -- Another car was torched in unincorporated Contra Costa County early Tuesday, bringing the number of vehicle arsons in the area to 16 over the last week, authorities said.

Contra Costa County Fire Inspector Vic Massenkoff said the latest blaze – which was reported at 5:15 a.m. at Appian Way near Allview Avenue in El Sobrante – was similar to the other fires.

“It’s definitely suspicious,” Massenkoff said. “It seems similar to the series of arson fires we have been experiencing. It’s the first fire since Saturday night.”

Massenkoff said the serial arsonist seems to be targeting vehicle owners randomly.

“Part of the pattern is that the targets are random.” He said. “The victims of these fires have no connection to each other. A lot of the vehicles have been unlocked and some have had their windows open.”

Massenkoff said what has added concern for firefighters is that many of the blazes are near homes.

“Most of these fires are being set right next to homes that are occupied by families,” he said. “People are sleeping, it’s the middle of the night. Most are being awoken by deputies knocking at their door…We are fortunate that houses have not been damaged.”

A man in a black hoodie was seen running from police investigating the blazes, Massenkoff said, but a search by local police and the California Highway Patrol failed to locate him.

The blaze followed in the wake of three vehicle fires that happened at about the same time Saturday night in El Sobrante and Richmond.

Deputies were dispatched to a fire in front of a home in the 5500 block of Oak Knoll Road in the unincorporated city of El Sobrante at about 10:50 p.m., sheriff's office spokesman Jimmy Lee said.

On Nov. 4, there were 12 vehicles fires in the same area.

The cars were burned in six locations, between 2:45 a.m. and 5:40 a.m., Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan said. The fires followed an eastbound pattern along San Pablo Dam Road, he said.

"We believe all these fires are related based on the fact that they happened in such a tight proximity and such a short time frame," he said.

A witness at one fire scene gave police a description of a man seen fleeing the area, Gagan said. Police are looking for the man, described as about 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a hood.