SAN PABLO (KRON) -- Lock your car and leave your windows up if you want to avoid becoming the next victim of a serial arsonist who has set 17 vehicles on fire in the last few weeks in western Contra Costa County.

That's the advice from a task force looking for the vandal.  At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, officials with the Richmond Police Department, Richmond Fire Department, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department and the Contra Costa County Fire Department announced they've set up a joint investigation into the blazes.

Officials say all of the cars damaged in the fires were either unlocked or had their windows down.  Some of the fires were set both inside and outside of the vehicles, officials said.

Three more fires were reported overnight Monday into Tuesday.  Investigators say they believe all 17 fires are the work of the same arsonist but that right now investigators have no leads, no suspects, and no witnesses to the crime.

Officials note while none of the fires have resulted in injury or damage to other property, all are dangerous enough that it's possible they could have spread.

If you know anything about these cases, contact the task force at 1-888-50ARSON (1-888-502-7766)

Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON4.com for the latest in this developing story.

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