- A man has been arrested in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles on suspicion of arson. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has yet to verify whether it is connected with the Kenneth Fire raging in the area.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, near the Kenneth Fire currently spreading toward the Hidden Hills and Calabasas.
Previously an officer told media that an individual had been arrested for intentionally starting the Kenneth Fire.
Speaking to NewsNation Charles Dinsel, a senior lead officer in the LAPD, said: “What we know right now is that the incident occurred, started here, and about 20 minutes [to] 30 minutes later a suspect was detained over the Woodland Hills area by citizens.”
When asked if someone had “purposefully” set the fire Dinsel confirmed: “That’s what we believe, yes.”
As a result, the site of the Kenneth Fire is now being treated as a crime scene, Dinsel added.
However, following the interview, sources at the LAPD have refused to confirm whether the Woodland Hills arrest is in connection to the Kenneth Fire.
Fox News reports it contacted the LAPD multiple times for clarification, and was told that while a person has been arrested, it could not confirm it was for starting the blaze.
Fortune contacted the LAPD for comment outside of business hours but did not receive a response.
The Kenneth Fire is one of six ravaging the West Coast state, claiming the lives of at least 10 people and destroying thousands of homes, community sites, and businesses.
The Kenneth Fire broke out on the evening of Jan. 9 and as of 9 p.m. ET was 0% contained over a 960-acre span.
The northernmost fire, Lidia, is now 75% contained and is no longer a California Fire incident, Cal Fire reports.
The two biggest blazes currently are the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.
The former has destroyed homes in areas like Malibu—home to a host of celebrity properties—as well as Palisades itself. Evacuation orders for this blaze have also been issued down into Santa Monica.
The Eaton Fire is raging through areas such as Altadena and Mount Wilson, with evacuation orders issued for parts of Pasadena and Glendale.
Alongside the loss to human life, the financial costs of the fires are continuing to soar higher.
Private forecaster AccuWeather has reevaluated its damage estimate because of the infernos to between $135 billion and $150 billion—up from $52 billion to $57 billion just a day earlier.
AccuWeather's chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said: "This is going to be…probably the top wildfire in modern Californian history in terms of destruction and damage and total economic loss."
"Maximum punishment will be sought"
While it remains unclear whether the individual arrested on suspicion of arson is facing charges relating to the Kenneth Fire, Los Angeles district attorney Nathan Hochman is ready to heavily prosecute any individual found guilty of a crime of such magnitude.
Speaking to NewsNation, Hochman said: "We are going to look at all the causes of each one of the fires to determine whether or not it was natural or man-made and intentional.
"The crime of arson will land you in prison for years, especially if you have any level of criminal background, it could literally land you in prison for years. The restitution loan that you will owe will probably cripple you financially for the rest of your life.
"We will send that message unmistakably clear to anyone that's out there even now because we hear that people look at these situations and for some sick reason want to go ahead and add to the fires that Los Angeles County are fighting. If they are even thinking of that we want them to understand what the consequences of their actions will be."
"Justice will be swift," Hochman added. "It will be firm and the maximum punishment will be sought."
More on the Los Angeles wildfires:
- California bans insurance cancellation in LA fire-affected areas
- Deadly LA wildfires to cost over $50 billion in damages, becoming one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history
- Son and father-in-law fleeing fire couldn’t get a ride from Uber or 911, then kind strangers stepped in to save them—twice
- The best way to claim insurance if you lost your home or business in the Los Angeles wildfires
- All the Hollywood stars who have lost their homes or had to evacuate due to the California wildfires
