Police are looking into whether the Kenneth Fire near the Hidden Hills area was a suspected arson event as firefighters fight the massive fire in Los Angeles.
According to information obtained by Knewz.com, law enforcement officials have detained a suspected arsonist who is thought to be responsible for this specific fire, which has already burned over 1,000 acres and is 35% contained.
According to sources, the Kenneth Fire near the Hidden Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles began “burning in an area of dry brush in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space, north of the 101 Freeway,” at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time.
Two hours later, reports of a guy attempting to start a fire in the Woodland Hills neighborhood’s 21700 block of Ybarra Road with a flamethrower or a huge propane tank were received by Los Angeles Police.
In a statement to the media, Renata Grinshpun, a local who saw the accused arsonist arrested, said:
“As we were seated in the backyard, we heard a car scream to a stop, and the driver ran out, yelling, Stop! Give over the object you’re clutching! He’s attempting to create a fire, neighbors! Make a 911 call.
The Woodland Hills neighborhood’s inhabitants reportedly noticed the arson suspect, cornered him, and took him into custody for the police.
“We [neighborhood residents] truly came together as a one… A couple of gentlemen gathered around him and brought him to his knees. We were able to make a citizens’ arrest once they obtained a rope and some zip ties,” Grinshpun recalled.
According to another homeowner who saw the arrest, the arson suspect was purportedly carrying a flamethrower at the time of his capture.
‘I can’t stop,’ he said. I’m unable to stop. I’m not going to write this down. “This is what I’m doing,” the witness declared.
Additionally, he was totally concentrated on using the blow torch to advance. ‘We can’t be doing that right now,’ we think, headded.
Whether the apprehended arson suspect is connected to any of the wildfires burning throughout Los Angeles has not yet been established by officials.
According to Sean Dinse of the Topanga Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, the Kenneth Fire is being investigated as a crime and is now thought to be a potential case of arson.
“What we know right now is that the incident occurred here and about 20-30 minutes later, a suspect was detained by citizens,” Dinse stated to reporters.
According to reports, the Kenneth Fire was 35% contained and had expanded over 1,000 acres by 9 p.m. local time.
There are now raging wildfires in Los Angeles, particularly in the Eaton, Hurst, and Pacific Palisades zones. These fires have destroyed entire neighborhoods and caused tremendous damage in a number of localities.
More than 1,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed by the extensive fires, which have already resulted in two fatalities.
Strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and impact coastal Southern California and the Baja California region are known as extreme Santa Ana winds. According to reports, these winds have been contributing to the fires, with gusts of up to 80 mph spreading them throughout the Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena regions.
These Santa Ana winds are “the worst in over a decade,” according to reports, with gusts of up to 99 mph recorded in Altadena and the neighboring areas.
The “rich and highly populated” regions of Los Angeles, including the residences of Hollywood celebrities, were affected by the raging wildfires, according to officials.
More than 1,400 firemen have been sent in to combat the raging fire that has overtaken Los Angeles, “with assistance from both nearby and out-of-state departments and further asks out to anyone with firefighting experience,” according to reports citing California Governor Gavin Newsom.