Two young men were detained Friday after a series of apparent arson fires broke out in Venice in recent weeks, authorities said. Undercover fire investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, staked the area out overnight, but its not clear if that's how the two were found.

A pair of small fires broke out shortly before 1 a.m. Friday along Pacific Avenue and Strongs Drive, parallel streets near the Venice Canals, according to fire officials. At 8:30 the previous night a fire erupted at 18 S. Venice Blvd., nearby; an hour later flames broke out at 23rd and Pacific avenues.

No injuries were reported but one car parked under an apartment building was damaged, according to the LAFD.

On May 19 a similar fire broke out in the 1700 block of South Main Street. It's not clear if it's connected. Likewise, a series of similarly small blazes has plagued neighboring Santa Monica. There has been no word on whether or not authorities believe there could be a connection, however.

In Venice, authorities came across one possible suspect Friday morning, about 1:30 a.m., at the handball courts along the beach. Both young men were being held at the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division for questioning.

-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us.

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