A man suspected of intentionally starting a brush fire that scorched at least 2,256 acres in the Angeles National Forest turned himself in to Azusa police Sunday, the department said.
Osmin Palencia, 36, was identified as an arson suspect Friday, a day after the flames ignited and quickly spread, threatening the Mountain Cove neighborhood and leading to evacuations and the closure of Highway 39.
Palencia lived in the Azusa Canyon riverbed, near where the fire sparked at about 2:45 p.m. Thursday, investigators said.
The blaze, dubbed the Ranch 2 Fire, was reported around 2:45 p.m. Thursday in a creek bed near the corner of San Gabriel Canyon and Ranch roads.
About 300 homes were threatened at the time.
The fire flared up Saturday, with triple-digit temperatures and low humidity making the blaze more difficult to contain, fire officials said. The blaze had burned at least 1,400 acres north of Azusa by Saturday.
As of Sunday morning, the blaze was just 7% contained at 2,256 acres.
