Homeless Man Arrested for Starting California Wildfire near L.A.

A homeless man was arrested Tuesday for starting a wildfire in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles last week, as California continues to battle multiple wildfires.

Local KTLA-5 reported:

Osmin Palencia, 36, faces one count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of a structure or forest, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Palencia, who lived in a tent near the Mountain Cove community in Azusa, started the blaze Aug. 13 during an argument, according to prosecutors.

It is unclear what the dispute was about or who the defendant was arguing with.

…

As of Tuesday, it had burned about 3,900 acres and was 19% contained, according to forest officials.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney noted: “Bail is scheduled at $435,000. If convicted as charged, Palencia faces a possible maximum sentence of 23 years in state prison.”

The Los Angeles Times reported: “Court records showed he previously was convicted of dissuading a witness in 2015.”

Many other fires across the state were sparked by lightning.

New evacuation orders for parts of the city of #Vacaville. Police are going door to door. This fire is NOT A JOKE. Leave if you are told to leave.
There are not enough firefighters to do structure protection. This is a live-saving event ONLY! #LNULightningComplex pic.twitter.com/lUJOaCPJ27

— Katie Nielsen (@KatieKPIX) August 19, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency on Tuesday due to the fires.

California has also been suffering a shortage of electricity, partly due to the failure of wind and solar power to make up the difference — though conservation measures Tuesday prevented blackouts.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.