Arson Suspect Arrested as Cranston Fire Rages in California

A man suspected of starting a wildfire in California that has spread over thousands of acres and prompted widespread evacuations was arrested Wednesday night, the authorities said.

The man, Brandon N. McGlover, was charged with five counts of arson to wildland, according to a news release from Cal Fire, a state agency responsible for fire protection. The Cranston fire, as it is known, has spread rapidly across a mountainous area east of Los Angeles.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the fire had expanded to cover 7,500 acres with 5 percent of it contained, said Lyn Sieliet, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman. McGlover, 32, is also accused of starting multiple smaller fires, according to the news release.

The Cranston fire started at about noon Wednesday, according to the Forest Service. The entire community of Idyllwild, a mountain town about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, and other areas of the San Jacinto Mountains were evacuated Wednesday evening.

At about noon Wednesday, the agency reported that the fire had an area of about 25 acres. The fire had spread over 1,200 acres by 4 p.m. and then more than doubled in scope less than two hours later.

“It’s hot, it’s dry and the terrain is really steep,” Sieliet said. “The humidity is low and there’s a light wind, so all of those conditions contribute.”

There are currently 88 large fires active across the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. California has six, but farther north, there are 15 such fires in Oregon and 11 in Alaska.

On Wednesday, a wildfire encroaching on Yosemite Valley that is now 43,000 acres forced the evacuation of visitors at the most popular time for tourists at the national park there. Last year 44 people were killed in California wildfires, which brought destruction estimated at $10 billion.

There were no known injuries to civilians or emergency personnel from the Cranston fire, Sieliet said.

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown of California declared a state of emergency in Riverside County because of the Cranston fire. The declaration also applied to Shasta County, in Northern California, where a 20,000-acre fire is blazing.

Lt. Eric Dickson, a spokesman for the Police Department in Hemet, California, a city west of Idyllwild, said the department’s officers found McGlover driving in his car after they were alerted to look out for a white Honda sedan that could be connected to the fires. In the vehicle, the authorities found possible fire accelerants, Dickson said.

McGlover, who is from Temecula, California, a city southwest of Idyllwild, had his bail set at $1 million, the lieutenant said.

As of Thursday afternoon, about 2,500 homes had been evacuated and nearly 700 responders were mobilized to contain the flames, Sieliet said. Winds were blowing the fire eastward and northeastward during the afternoon.

Tony Allen, the owner of Bluebird Cottage Inn, which is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains, said that he and 15 guests left the area on Wednesday as the fire was spreading northeast from its location about a mile south of his business.

The fire destroyed five homes in the area, according to the Forest Service, but Allen said his inn was safe for now.

“The houses there were just ash; there was not really anything left standing,” he said. “It was sort of surreal.”

The authorities expect additional charges to be filed against McGlover, said Capt. Fernando Herrera, a spokesman for Cal Fire. In California, arson of forest land is a felony punishable by up to six years in prison.

Matt Kraemer, a school principal in Idyllwild, said the school mobilized buses to evacuate summer campers to a building about 25 miles away. Kraemer said the fire was on a path to destroy his school until it veered in a different direction with the wind.

“It upsets me a great deal,” he said, “that somebody would be that evil that they would create that much damage and endanger so many.”