A man suspected of sparking a brush fire that burned about five acres Tuesday afternoon in Palmdale was taken into custody and subsequently admitted to sparking the blaze, a sheriff’s lieutenant said.
The fire was reported just after 5 p.m. near the 500 block of East Avenue R-8, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Marion Tucker, who was on a motorcycle, arrived at the scene and spotted the suspect running through a field and across some railroad tracks, but was unable to immediately take the man into custody, she told a news photographer at the scene.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was apprehended soon after in a nearby neighborhood with the assistance of residents, according to Lt. Mike Marion of the sheriff’s Palmdale Station.
Air and ground crews managed to douse the flames in about 30 minutes. The fire got within a few blocks of homes, but no evacuations were ordered and no injuries were reported, Marion said.
The suspect’s name, age and place of residence were not immediately available, according to Marion, who said the suspect had a torch lighter in his possession when he was arrested.