Homeless Man Arrested in Canyon Fires
A 51-year-old homeless man was arrested Monday in connection with two brush fires in Mandeville Canyon in Brentwood.
Authorities said that Facundo Salazar was taken into custody after being seen by residents leaving the scene of both fires on Mandeville Canyon Road.
“He was detained by citizens,” said Jim Wells, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Dept.
“Police were requested and, subsequent to that, he was arrested by members of the arson section.”
The man was expected to be charged with recklessly starting a fire, according to Wells.
The incident began about 1:30 p.m., he said, when more than 100 firefighters and six helicopters were summoned to battle a four-acre blaze on the 2600 block of Mandeville Canyon Road. A short time later, he said, another fire broke out about 2 1/2 miles down the road.
Both fires were quickly extinguished, Wells said, and no structures were damaged. One firefighter, he said, sustained minor injuries.
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