Property owners whose buildings was damaged in the fires set by the Hollywood arsonist will have their Building and Safety permits expedited under a motion introduced today.

The motion from Councilman Tom LaBonge was announced just hours before Harry Burkhart, 24, was formally charged with 28 counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure for 12 of the 52 fires that were set in Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley between Friday and Monday.

District Attorney Steve Cooley said the investigation into the fires is ongoing. The fires, most of which were set in carports attached to apartment buildings, caused an estimated $3 million in damages.

At the conclusion of an afternoon court appearance, Burkhart’s bail was set at $2.85 million. He was also ordered to surrender his German passport.

As for building repairs, a spokesman for Building and Safety said inspectors are ready to expedite permits needed to repair the torched buildings. Permits for properties that suffered damage on less than 10 percent of the building may be approved without additional plans.

“We can typically handle those without too much complexity,” said department spokesman Dave Lara.