DDN: A video surfaced showing a homeless guy attempting to ignite a wildfire in Los Angeles County with what looked like a “flamethrower,” leading to his arrest.
Near the time the Kenneth Fire broke out, locals in the Woodland Hills area reported seeing an unidentified man riding a bicycle while he set fire to multiple trash cans and old Christmas trees.
The TV station heard from Renata Grinshpun, who claimed to have seen a vehicle swerve to a halt and a man shouting, “Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire!” Someone should dial 911!
Video footage shows the man being cornered by concerned neighbors as he tries to flee on his bicycle. Grinshpun described the man as having a large “propane tank or a flamethrower” and attempting to set fire to nearby rubbish.
“We truly came together as a unit,” Grinshpun stated in an interview. “A handful of gentlemen encircled him and brought him to his knees. After obtaining a rope and some zip ties, we were able to carry out a citizens’ arrest.
On Friday morning, January 10, the Kenneth Fire, which started at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time, had spread to 960 acres and was still completely uncontained.
According to L.A. Police Department S/L Sean Dinse, “about 20 minutes, 30 minutes later a suspect was detained by citizens.” The incident began at approximately 4:30 p.m., when the department received a report of a guy attempting to set fires.
For the moment, that’s our belief,” Dinse stated in response to the question of whether the Kenneth Fire was caused by arson. “Serious criminal charges are being considered.”
In a late-night update on Thursday (January 9), the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office verified to the Los Angeles Times that the confirmed death toll in connection with the wildfires in Los Angeles County has risen from five to ten.
The latest tally was announced by officials several hours after four deaths were confirmed in connection with the 13,690-acre Eaton fire in Altadena and one in the 19,978-acre Palisades fire.
The identities and whereabouts of the most recent five victims remain unknown, and the medical examiner has cautioned that it may take weeks to confirm other cases owing to the difficulty of recovering bodies in the hazardous fire circumstances and identifying burnt remains.
“Please also be aware that traditional methods of identification, like fingerprinting and visual identification, might not be accessible, which will prolong the process of identifying these deceased,” the medical examiner told the Los Angeles Times.
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The department’s accuracy in reporting the total death toll would require some time, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
According to Luna, who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, “We’re still working in a very fluid and active environment,” which implies that there are still gas leaks and spot fires in certain spots. “So when people ask us for casualty counts, we’d love to give them to you, but our personnel can’t safely go in there until it’s safe.”
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Because of the potentially fatal flames, over 100,000 people have fled their homes. According to reports, out of all the wildfires in the county, the Eaton and Palisades fires were the most destructive.
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