Los Angeles Arson Suspect Ruben Montes Arrested Near Eaton Fire

California police arrested a man on suspicion of arson on Sunday after firefighters saw him lighting fires about 12 miles south east of the Eaton fire—the deadliest blaze, as of Monday morning, in fires raging across the Los Angeles area.

Ruben Montes, 29, of Baldwin Park, was detained and arrested after firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a small brush fire in Irwindale, near Rivergrade Road and the 605 Freeway at about 12:30 p.m. local time.

"While on scene, LACOFD personnel observed a suspect actively lighting fires in the area," Irwindale Police Department wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Newsweek has contacted the police department and the LACOFD for further information via emails outside regular business hours.

Why It Matters

Firefighters are working to gain control of huge fires in the Los Angeles area that have burned almost 40,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

At least 16 people have died in the Eaton fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. The fire has burned more than 14,00 acres in the hills near Pasadena and was 27 percent contained by Sunday night, according to Cal Fire.

The Palisades fire, the largest of the fires still burning, has burned more than 23,000 acres, and was just 13 percent contained. A third blaze, the Hurst fire, has burned almost 800 acres and containment was at 95 percent on Sunday night.

What to Know

Irwindale Police Department did not state whether Montes was responsible for the small brush fire near Rivergrade Road. No injuries or damage were reported.

The arrest comes as the Los Angeles region remains on heightened alert amid the huge fires that started last week.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of those fires, but there has been no indication from authorities that arson is responsible for the Palisades or Eaton fires.#

Palisades fire may have been started by the reigniting of a New Year's Eve fire, according to evidence reviewed by The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, investigators are probing whether electrical equipment may have sparked the Eaton and Hurst fires.

Police believe the Kenneth fire, which started in the San Fernando Valley on Thursday and has since been fully contained, was intentionally set.

A man was taken into custody in the Woodland Hills neighborhood not long after that fire broke out. Juan Sierra, 33, was arrested by officers after he was seen attempting to start a fire, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a law enforcement email.

Sierra was arrested on suspicion of a probation violation, but he is a "person of interest" in the Kenneth fire, Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Monica Smith told the newspaper.

What People Are Saying

The Irwindale Police Department on X: "We thank our partners at LACOFD for their quick actions and teamwork to help bring this dangerous situation under control."

What's Next

A man named Ruben Montes was booked on Sunday at the West Covina Jail on $75,000 bail, online records from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department show. His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning.