Police in Azusa announced that a man was arrested on Friday night after he allegedly started a brush fire in a park not far from where the Eaton Fire is still burning.
According to the Azusa Police Department, officers were dispatched to Pioneer Park – located at 1360 North Dalton Drive – around 11:37 p.m. on reports of a brush fire.
Upon arriving at the park, a witness alerted officers that the individual responsible for igniting the blaze was still at the scene.
The man, a transient named Jose Carranza-Escobar, was seen “standing next to the flames” and was promptly detained as the L.A. County Fire Department, already thinly stretched due to the large wildfires in Southern California, responded and extinguished the blaze.
Carranza, whose last known address was in Azusa, later admitted to starting the fire. He was subsequently booked at the Azusa Police Department Jail for arson.
Local public works departments will work to assess the damage caused by the fire.
“Azusa Police Department urges everyone to remain alert as fires continue to affect the county,” the police department said. “We must be cautious of individuals who may enter our community with the intent to start fires.”
APD has staffed extra officers on duty due to the ongoing fire situation, authorities said. The department will also continue to assist agencies responding to the fires to ensure the community’s safety.
Azusa is located directly east of Duarte, where some neighborhoods remain under an evacuation warning due to the Eaton Fire.
As of publication, the Eaton Fire had burned more than 11,000 acres and was just 15% contained. A total of eight people have died in the fire, which will likely be one of the most expensive national disasters in California history when all is said and done.
