Los Angeles arsonist is arrested for ‘purposely starting Kenneth Fire’
An apocalyptic, fast-moving fire that led to mass evacuations in Calabasas and the Hidden Hills is being investigated as an arson incident, with one suspect arrested.
The Kenneth fire is rapidly sweeping through the West Hills, pulling 900 exhausted first responders from other high-priority fires in Southern California to protect homes and try to contain the flames.
Now, LAPD Senior Chief Officer Charles Dinsel has told NewsNation that there is a suspect in custody suspected of deliberately starting the fire.
“Approximately 20 to 30 minutes later, a suspect was apprehended by civilians in the Woodland Hills area,” he said.
“It’s being investigated as a crime.”
Dinsel was asked directly if he believed the fire was deliberately set, and he said, “At this point we believe that. Yes.’
He said there was no clear motive and added that the area was now being ‘closed’ for further investigation.
Sources told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 around 4:30 p.m. to report a man was trying to start a fire on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.
The suspect was arrested and taken to Topanga station.
The Kenneth fire is rapidly sweeping through the West Hills, pulling 900 exhausted first responders from other high-priority fires in Southern California to protect homes and try to contain the flames.
An apocalyptic, fast-moving fire that led to mass evacuations in Calabasas and the Hidden Hills is being investigated as an arson incident, with one suspect arrested
Sources told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 around 4:30 p.m. to report a man was trying to start a fire on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.
Heroic first responders were alerted to the latest blaze in the Los Angeles-Ventura County border, which quickly spread through the West Hills and entered homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills.
Officials issued a chilling warning Thursday evening urging residents not to ignore evacuation orders, with Senator Adam Schiff bluntly stating: ‘If you stay, you’re going to die’
“We cannot confirm any connection to a fire at this time,” LAPD Drake Madison said.
Heroic first responders were alerted to the latest blaze in the Los Angeles-Ventura County border, which quickly spread through the West Hills and entered homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills.
Officials issued a chilling warning Thursday evening urging residents not to ignore evacuation orders, with Sen. Adam Schiff bluntly declaring, “If you stay, you’re going to die.”
“If you get an evacuation order, leave,” he said. ‘You may think you can outrun a fire, but you can’t outrun these fires. If you stay, you will die in it.”
The fast-moving Kenneth Fire already covers 960 acres and threatens the Malibu Canyon area north of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas, home to Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Kim and Khloe Kardashian live in nearby Hidden Hills.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect as firefighters drop water bombs from the sky in an attempt to contain the blaze, which is being fanned by strong Santa Ana winds.
The road out of Calabasas is already congested with bumper-to-bumper traffic as locals heed the warnings and leave their homes.
Residents across Southern California have been warned for days to have bags full of important documents and belongings packed and ready in case of an emergency.
At 3:45 p.m. the fire was reported to be 50 hectares, but had exploded to 791 hectares by 4:45 p.m. By 6 p.m. it covered 960 hectares.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect as firefighters drop water bombs from the sky in an attempt to contain the blaze, which is being fanned by strong Santa Ana winds.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect in Calabasas and Hidden Hills, causing chaos on the roads
A helicopter drops water on the Kenneth wildfire in the Woodland Hills
The combined death toll for all fires has risen to seven, but officials have warned this is likely to continue rising as dogs trained to detect human remains gain access to the charred remains of properties in fire-ravaged neighborhoods.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna urged “patience” with the official death counts.
“Right now, we honestly don’t know,” he said. ‘I think the death toll will rise. I hope I’m wrong.’
Across Los Angeles, about 180,000 people have been issued mandatory evacuation orders, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Los Angeles County officials say an evacuation order alert was mistakenly issued Thursday afternoon for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills.
The warning was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.
Across Los Angeles, about 180,000 people have been issued mandatory evacuation orders, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Locals have been ordered to evacuate as the fires continue to spread across Southern California
Kim Kardashian’s $60 million home is located in the Hidden Hills
The last endangered suburbs, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, are home to the Kardashians
Los Angeles County officials say an evacuation order alert was mistakenly issued Thursday afternoon for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills. The warning was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills
The damage from the two largest fires – the Pacific Palisades fire and the Eaton inferno – is enormous. Up to 10,000 structures have been wiped out, officials say.
David Acuna, a spokesman for Cal Fire, issued a chilling new warning to Californians as they look ahead to the future and consider rebuilding their lives.
“There really isn’t a fire season, it’s a fire year,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Similarly, Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said, “The level of destruction is staggering.”
Neither of the two major fires has been brought under control in any way.
Eaton now covers 13,690 acres, while the larger Palisades fire extends to more than 17,200 acres.