A group of Los Angeles residents confronted and arrested a man they believe may be the arsonist responsible for starting a fire. Multiple forest fires The video appears in Southern California.
Los Angeles police have taken a man into custody after a group of good Samaritans caught him near Kenneth Fire, allegedly carrying a blowtorch, according to video from FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The video shows a man who appears to be carrying a torch head and a yellow fuel tank. At least five residents surround him and wrestle him to the ground.
The police said It was too early to confirm its connection to any fires.
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A still image from a home security video appears to show a Los Angeles man carrying a torch head and a fuel tank before residents tackle him and call police as wildfires rage across Southern California. Police said he was taken into custody but could not confirm his connection to any arson. (Fox 11 Los Angeles)
“Today, at 4:32 p.m., a radio call was established in the 21700 block of Ybarra Road looking for a possible arson suspect. A man was heard saying the suspect was trying to start a fire,” an LAPD spokesperson told the network. Fox News. . “The suspect is in custody and transported to Topanga Station. We are continuing our investigation, and cannot confirm any connection to any arson by this suspect at this time.”
Palisades fire in Los Angeles raises looting fears and pushes private security guards to the brink
The arrest comes as a Los Angeles law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that it is not uncommon to find people intentionally starting wildfires.
“When the wind is in these conditions, it shows sick serial arsonists,” the source said. However, there is no confirmed connection between arson and any of the fires as of Friday.
Palisades Fire: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt lose their home; Celebrities flee the Ritzy
Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a strong wind storm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Due to intense Santa Ana winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to more than 15,000 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate while a second major fire continues to burn near Eaton Canyon in Altadena. (Abu Gomez/Getty Images)
The Palisades fire has particularly affected Hollywood stars and their neighbors, who are prime targets for thieves seeking to rob homes after their owners have evacuated.
While the authorities poured water on some Arson theories spread among celebritiesAuthorities have arrested at least 20 people for looting across the province, as residents struggle to hire private security companies to protect their homes.
Herman Weissberg, managing director of private security and investigations firm SAGE Intelligence, told Fox News Digital Thursday that all of his employees in Los Angeles had been exploited, and he was having trouble flying in support from elsewhere in the country as hotels filled with evacuees. Residents are selling and renting cars throughout the area.
“We have already allocated all the assets I have in California to different missions, but we are trying to mobilize more residents, which has its own problems,” he said. “All of our people are former law enforcement officers, but not everyone is licensed in the state of California.”
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Fire personnel respond to destroyed homes as a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)
Craig Ball, who runs ASC Private Security, said he spent all day Thursday trying to get more of his teams cleared to enter restricted areas.
“We have many clients in the burn area and we provide them with guard service every day, from 12 to 24 hours,” he told Fox News Digital. “As if the residents had not already gone through hell, now they know about the looting and are calling me in a panic so that we can go back there to protect what they left.”
A house caught fire during the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on January 8, 2025 (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)
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He said he also has new potential clients asking for help with Pacific Barriers The community, but is facing a problem in obtaining a license.
He said: “I have employees ready and eager to work, but officials will not allow us.”
Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.
