Southern California Authorities Arrest 2 Suspects Connected to Recent Fires

The Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in a 2022 screenshot image. Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

Authorities in Orange County, California, since Oct. 6 have arrested two suspected arsonists who they say lit fires in Lake Forest.

The first fire was reportedly set on Sunday near Saddleback Church, a non-denominational mega church located about 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles in the smaller community of Lake Forest near Irvine.

Fire officials said the two-acre blaze started in the brush near Portola and Rancho parkways at about 1 p.m. and was under control by 1:35 p.m.

According to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen, a suspect was arrested on Sunday, but because of the ongoing investigation, no details have yet been disclosed to the public.

“After a thorough scene examination, the cause was determined to be intentional, and one suspect is in custody with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department,” the fire authority wrote on X Sunday.

Saddleback Church officials did not return a request for comment about the fire.

In a separate incident, the fire agency responded to a small vegetation fire near Silverado Canyon at about 9:45 a.m. Monday. The fire grew to only one-quarter of an acre and was quickly extinguished, according to Nguyen.

“No homes were damaged and no injuries,” Nguyen told The Epoch Times.

A suspect was also arrested in connection with Monday’s fire.

“They were two separate incidents,” Nguyen said.

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a growing fire farther south in Campo, about 60 miles east of San Diego on the U.S. border with Mexico.

The fast-moving wildfire started at 2:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of La Posta Road and Old Highway 80 in Campo, about five miles west of Golden Acorn Casino, according to Cal Fire.

Customs and Border Patrol agents prepare to question a motorist at a checkpoint in Campo, Calif., in an undated photo. A fast-growing wildfire that started Monday in Campo consumed less than a square mile but caused evacuations in the border town.  Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

The fire spread quickly Monday afternoon, threatening homes and other structures, according to fire officials.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department issued evacuation orders about 90 minutes after the blaze started. Residents living near the burn zone were ordered to leave their homes, while others nearby were warned of possible evacuations.

A shelter was opened at the casino on Golden Acorn Way on Monday.

By 8 a.m. Tuesday, the fire had reached about half a square mile and was 25 percent contained, Cal Fire reported on social media.

The fire’s spread was halted overnight, the agency reported.

“Firefighters worked through the night to strengthen control lines and extinguished hot spots,” Cal Fire wrote in the update. “Firefighters will continue to remain engaged until the fire is fully contained.”