A group of Los Angeles residents confronted and apprehended a man they believe may be an arsonist responsible for setting one of multiple wildfires in Southern California, video shows.
Los Angeles police have a man in custody after a group of good Samaritans grabbed him near the Kenneth Fire, allegedly carrying a blowtorch, according to video from FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The video shows a man who appears to be holding a torch head and a yellow fuel tank. At least five residents surround him and tackle him to the ground.
Police said it was too early to confirm he was connected to any fires.
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A still image from home security video that appears to show a Los Angeles man holding a torch head and fuel tank before residents tackled him and called police as wildfires rage across Southern California. Police said he was taken into custody but could not confirm he was connected to any fires. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
“Today, at 4:32 p.m., a radio call was generated on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road for a possible arson suspect. A male was heard stating a suspect was ‘attempting to light a fire,'” an LAPD spokesman told Fox News. “The suspect is in custody and was transported to Topanga Station. We are continuing our investigation, and we CANNOT confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect at this time.”
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The arrest comes as a Los Angeles law enforcement source tells Fox News Digital it’s not uncommon to find people have intentionally set wildfires.
“When you have wind conditions like this, it brings out the serial arsonists, who are sickos,” the source said. There is no confirmed connection between arson and any of the fires as of Friday, however.
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Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 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. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
The Palisades fire in particular has impacted Hollywood stars and their neighbors – prime targets for looters looking to steal from homes after their owners have evacuated.
While authorities have poured water on some celebrity-spread arson theories, authorities have made at least 20 arrests for looting across the county as residents struggle to hire private security firms to protect their homes.
Herman Weisberg, the managing director of the private security and investigations firm SAGE Intelligence, told Fox News Digital Thursday that all of his Los Angeles personnel were tapped, and he was having trouble flying in support from elsewhere in the country as hotels fill up with displaced residents and rental cars sell out across the region.
“We’ve already pretty much committed all the assets I have in California to various assignments, but we’re trying to mobilize some more out of towners, which has its own issues,” he said. “Everybody that we have is former law enforcement, but not everybody is licensed in the state of California.”
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Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on Jan. 7, 2025. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Craig Paul, who runs ASC Private Security, said he spent all day Thursday trying to get clearance for more of his teams to enter restricted areas.
“We have many clients in the burn area that we provide guard service for every day, from 12 to 24 hours,” he told Fox News Digital. “As if the residents aren’t going through hell already, they are now learning of the looting and calling me in a panic for us to get back up there to protect what they have left.”
A home is engulfed in flames 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 in the Pacific Palisades community, but he is having trouble getting authorization.
“I have the staff ready and eager to work but the officials won’t allow us,” he said.
Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
