Juan Sierra was arrested Thursday after he was caught "attempting to start a fire" in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported. Witnesses saw the 33-year-old attempting to ignite brush in an area near the Kenneth fire.
Residents who allegedly witnessed Sierra trying to light a fire detained him until police arrived. Los Angeles Police from the Topanga Division picked up Sierra shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Monica Smith Gomez noted that Sierra was arrested on a probation violation. Police say Sierra is a "person of interest" in starting the blaze, although he has not been charged.
Driven by high winds and fueled by dry vegetation, the inferno is threatening homes near Hidden Hills and Calabasas after starting near the county line. Other fires are also threatening life and property in the area as firefighters move to contain them.
The fire has left devastation in its wake as flames continue to spread throughout the area. Notably, nearly a thousand acres of brush ignited around the time Sierra was arrested Thursday night.
Authorities believe it may have been arson, but so far have not given an official account of how it started. Firefighters attempted to beat back the blaze with water drops, but the wildfire began encroaching near homes in Malibu Canyon.
As of Friday evening, the blaze was about 50% contained, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The Ventura County Fire Department said it would firefighting efforts would persist in an effort to contain the blaze.
“Firefighters worked throughout the day to mop up hot spots and improve containment lines, adding to the overall containment of this fire. Firefighters will continue monitoring and patrolling this evening to ensure the fire remains within its established perimeter,” county officials said.
The first reported wildfire came Tuesday in Pacific Palisades and spread overnight into Santa Monica and Malibu. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday that 11 people have been killed so far.
The cause of the blaze may be arson, but there’s no shortage of blame to go around to the people in charge of California. One of the most shocking issues is that fire hydrants in affected areas are running dry.
President-elect Donald Trump has blamed the bureaucratic rot in California for this, with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newson at the top of the list. Trump said as much on his Truth Social Wednesday, echoing sentiments he expressed on The Joe Rogan Experience in October.
Trump recounted his experience with some Golden State congressmen when he asked why the California countryside was so dry. They responded that freshwater was being rerouted to the sea to protect a particular species of fish.
"Because the water isn't allowed to flow down. And in order to protect a tiny little fish, the water up north gets routed into the Pacific Ocean. Millions and millions of gallons of water gets poured," Trump said.
These fires are devastating regardless of how or why they started. The people in control of California are squarely to blame for the perfect storm of missteps that caused this.
