Three men have been detained for unlawfully starting a fire believed to be the cause of the massive blaze that ripped through 17 hundred acres Jan 17 in the Glendora area just outside of Los Angeles.
Clifford Henry, 22; Jonathan Jarrell, 23; and Steven Aguirre, 21; were taken into custody by the Glendora Police Department this morning, after allegedly starting a campfire that got out of control.
Officials say that the wildfire is moving unusually fast for the time of year, prompting them to initiate a mandatory evacuation order for the area as wind speeds reach up to 40 kilometres an hour.
Fire personnel urged residents to follow the evacuation orders, saying that although they understand the instinct for people to stand their ground in an attempt to protect their property, “lives are way more important.”
L.A. County Fire Inspector Keith Mora said that over 550 firefighters are currently battling the blaze on the ground, while eight helicopters and two super-scooper tanker planes are dumping water on hot spots from the air.
The two super-scooper tanker planes are currently on loan to L.A. County from the Province of Quebec, which regularly lends its support to Californian authorities during their dry months when wildfires are most common.
