Police on Thursday morning were searching for an arsonist who lit parts of a near-one-mile stretch of Sherman Oaks along Ventura Boulevard ablaze Wednesday night, threatening homes and businesses on the popular thoroughfare just 8 miles north of Hollywood, Calif., officials said. Fires began erupting about 8:40 p.m. when someone lit six trash can fires in Sherman Oaks along Ventura Boulevard between Coldwater Canyon and Sunnyslope avenues, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said. A man was taken in for questioning before 1 a.m. Thursday, according to a watch commander at the Los Angeles Police Department Van Nuys Station.