A man has been arrested in connection with the Little Mountain fire in San Bernardino
A man was arrested in connection with a fire that broke out in San Bernardino County Wednesday afternoon as wildfires continued to burn in Southern California and the region was under a red flag warning.
Crews responded to a fast-spreading brush fire at Little Mountain Drive and West Edgehill Road around 2 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. They were able to halt progress shortly before 4 p.m., by which time the fire had grown to 34 hectares.
The San Bernardino Police Department also responded to the incident and later arrested a man on two felony charges, including reckless arson.
The incident comes on the heels of recent arson arrests as Los Angeles battles two of the most destructive wildfires in California history, overwhelming first responders who are desperately trying to prevent further loss of property and life.
On Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell released details on three recent arson incidents: a person suspected of using a barbecue lighter to start a fire in North Hollywood, a person suspected of setting brush on fire in Sherman Oaks and a person suspected of setting fire to a trash can. in West LA
Last week, a deceased man identified as Jose Carranza-Escobar was arrested on suspicion of arson in Azusa. Police said he later confessed to the crime. In addition, Juan Sierra was arrested Thursday by LA police and identified by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office as a “person of interest” in the Kenneth fire.
That fire burned more than 1,000 acres in the mountains above Hidden Hills and Calabasas before it was 100% contained Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Wednesday's fire in Little Mountain in San Bernardino caused a temporary road closure on Little Mountain Drive from Edgehill Drive to Sheridan Road. No injuries or damaged structures were reported.
The fire broke out amid an expired red flag warning on Wednesday night. Eric Sherwin of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District said wind gusts were coming from the northeast at about 20 mph in the area of the fire Wednesday afternoon.
Southern California has endured an ongoing period of high fire danger that began on Jan. 7 – the day the Palisades and Eaton fires started. With the end of the red flag warning period on Wednesday, the wind is expected to calm down for the rest of the week.
However, moderate winds are forecast to return to the Los Angeles area starting Sunday night and continuing for much of next week, according to the National Weather Service.
