A 26-year-old Torrance man accused of igniting a 17- acre brush fire in the hills of Yorba Linda was charged Monday with arson.
Erik Michael Virgil, who’s been held on $50,000 bail since his arrest Thursday, was scheduled to be arraigned Monday on the felony charge.
The blaze broke out near the 21400 block of Casino Ridge Road about noon Thursday. A helicopter unit sent to the scene to help direct traffic in the area spotted a man running from a burning vehicle, prompting sheriff’s deputies to try to apprehend him on the ground, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock.
The terrain was too difficult to penetrate. However, there was a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter carrying SWAT officers at that time, Hallock said.
The aircraft landed and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s SWAT officers corralled the suspect and flew him to a nearby park, where he was handed over to Orange County deputies, Hallock said.
Virgil was taken to a nearby hospital for a checkup and later placed under arrest, Hallock said.
About 120 firefighters from several agencies battled the blaze, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Matt Levesque said. One firefighter suffered a knee injury and had to be taken to an area hospital, according to the OCFA.
—City News Service