Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove the video to clarify that arson is not suspected.
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A man who was taken into custody by citizens shortly after a wildfire broke out near Calabasas and West Hills has not been charged with starting the fire, authorities announced Friday morning.
Police say around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Woodland Hills was called to 911 reporting a man trying to start a fire in the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.
Residents found the suspect and detained him until police arrived. Photos shared on the Citizen app show police surrounding a house where a man was handcuffed.
Firefighters race to save homes from new wildfires in Calabasas area
“We were sitting in the backyard and all of a sudden we heard a car screeching to a halt and the man started running, saying, ‘Stop!'” Throw away what you have! Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Please call 911! ” recalled Renata Grinspan, who witnessed the incident.
At the same time, a few miles to the west, firefighters from Los Angeles and Ventura counties were working to extinguish the Kenneth Fire, which threatened homes on the north side of the 101 Freeway.
The fire was eventually stopped at 1,000 acres, with no buildings lost.
At a press conference Friday morning, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Dominic Choi said that after investigating the incident and interviewing the suspect, police ultimately determined that arson charges could not be filed. Ta.
“After interviews and additional investigation, we considered some of the additional evidence that existed, and determined that there was no sufficient reason to arrest this person on suspicion of arson or arson,” Choi said.
Instead, the man was arrested for a felony probation violation.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Choi said. “We would like to thank the members of the community who were involved in bringing this individual to our attention.”
The cause of the Kenneth Fire is still under investigation.
Crews across Southern California continued to battle two of the most destructive wildfires in California history, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu and the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena.
As of Friday, the causes of both fires had not yet been determined.
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