Homeless man with ‘flamethrower’ busted on suspicion of arson near LA’s Kenneth Fire after residents detain him
A homeless man has been busted on suspicion of arson close to where one of the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles broke out — after brave locals tackled him as he used what looked like a “flamethrower.”
The unidentified suspect was seen riding around Woodland Hills on a bicycle on Thursday afternoon setting fire to several old Christmas trees and garbage cans at the same time as the Kenneth Fire started, locals said.
Renata Grinshpun told KTLA she was in her backyard when she heard a car screech to a stop and a man yelling, “Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Call 911!’”
One person has been taken into custody in connection to the Kenneth Fire, which broke out Thursday in West Hills, Calif., according to reports. AP
8The wind whips embers while a firefighter battles the fire in the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Wilson as the wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area, during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, January 9, 2025. REUTERS
She saw the suspect holding a large “propane tank or a flamethrower” — which others described as a blowtorch — as he tried to torch debris in the street.
Neighbors jumped into action and cornered the man as he tried to ride off, as caught in part in a video — with one man demanding: “Put it down!”
“We really banded together as a group,” Grinshpun told KTLA. “A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope and we were able to do a citizens’ arrest.”
A male arson suspect was arrested in Woodland Hills as the nearby Kenneth Fire ignited in the Calabasas area on Jan. 9, 2025. Citizen
(José Illegal Garcia)
8A map of Southern California where fires have broken out around Los Angeles and San Diego. fire.ca.gov
One witness told Fox 11 that the suspect was “very focused on moving forward” with what the described as being more like a blowtorch.
“He was like, ‘I can’t stop. I can’t stop. I’m not putting this down. I’m doing this,'” the witness said.
“And we’re like, ‘We can’t be doing that right now.'”
8A firefighter sets a backburn in front of the advancing Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. AP
The LAPD confirmed an arson investigation was launched.
Asked if the Kenneth Fire was started by an arsonist, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinse told KTLA: “At this time, that’s what we believe. It’s being investigated as a crime.”
However, referring to the arrest, the LAPD stated on X late Thursday: “We CANNOT confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect at this time.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department initially issued mandatory evacuation orders for the area known as Hidden Hills, but downgraded that to mere warnings, according to the outlet. AP
The suspect is believed to be homeless. LAPD confirmed that he was arrested and taken to the department’s Topanga station.
No charges appear to have been pressed.
The Kenneth Fire sparked just after 2:30 p.m. and has since exploded to 960 acres and continues to rip through Ventura County with 0% containment as of Friday morning.
8A helicopter drops water on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills of Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. AP
The Los Angeles Fire Department initially issued mandatory evacuation orders for the area known as Hidden Hills, but downgraded that to warnings, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said in an update Thursday night.
At least 20 people were arrested Wednesday and Thursday morning for looting homes damaged or destroyed by the catastrophic wildfires ripping through the City of Angels, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Five separate fires sparked Tuesday morning, and days later have ravaged nearly 30,000 acres (47 square miles) in Los Angeles County, causing mass destruction and evacuations.
Firefighters battle the Kenneth Fire as flames rise in the air. AP
Some 130,000 Californians have been under evacuation orders from the multiple major fires, which include the Palisades Fire west of Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena and the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
The largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, has burned nearly 20,000 acres alongside the coast and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and structures in its path.
The out-of-control Eaton Fire has now destroyed or damaged between 4,000 and 5,000 homes as the growing blaze exploded to 13,690 acres on Thursday, officials said.
The cause of the five fires, three of which were completely un-contained, remain unknown and are under investigation.
At least 10 people are dead.
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