A homeless man pleaded no contest Tuesday in connection with a brush fire that charred more than 4,200 acres and forced evacuations of some homes in Azusa last summer.
Osmin Palencia, 37, was immediately sentenced to five years in state prison and ordered to register as an arson offender following his plea to one count of arson during an emergency, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Palencia, who lived in a tent near the Mountain Cave community, started the blaze — dubbed the Ranch 2 Fire — during an argument with a fellow transient, prosecutors said shortly after he was charged.
The blaze began about 2:45 p.m. Aug. 13 near North San Gabriel Canyon Road and North Ranch Road — as a heat wave was gripping the Southland — and took nearly two weeks to fully contain.
Eight firefighters suffered heat-related injuries battling the flames, which forced residents in the Mountain Cove area of Azusa to evacuate in the first day and into the next.
Palencia was arrested Aug. 16 and has remained behind bars since then, jail records show.