LOS ANGELES, CA – A 47-year-old Los Angeles woman was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of recklessly setting fire to forest land after a half-acre brush fire burned in the Angeles National Forest during a red flag warning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheila Nartatez was taken into custody on Saturday, Nov. 7, after the fire was reported on Little Tujunga Canyon Road near mile marker 16, the Sheriff’s Department said. The area is in the Kagel Canyon area of the forest.
U.S. Forest Service firefighters extinguished the blaze, which burned about half an acre. Investigators allege that Nartatez started the fire intentionally.
An arrest is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
Forest Service firefighters spot woman near fire
According to the Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Forest Service firefighters saw Nartatez walking near the small brush fire on Little Tujunga Canyon Road. They put out the fire, which was held to about half an acre.
The department said the fire was one of the incidents that crews faced on a day when fire weather conditions were forecast to be critical across much of the region.
Deputies detain suspect at the scene
Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department’s Crescenta Valley Station detained Nartatez. She was booked into the Crescenta Valley Station Jail on suspicion of recklessly setting fire to forestry land.
She was later transferred to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. According to the Sheriff’s Department, she was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail.
Authorities have not released a motive for the fire.
Red flag warning covered mountains and valleys
The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning for the western San Gabriel, Santa Susana and Santa Monica mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley, in effect from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The weather service warned of a “risk for rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior with any new fire starts.”
In a joint advisory issued Nov. 6, Los Angeles County’s fire, sheriff and emergency management agencies said very low humidity and strong winds would create conditions capable of producing rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior if a fire started. The advisory said gusts of 30 to 45 mph were forecast in mountain areas, with widespread gusty winds across many valleys and mountain communities.
The same advisory said the County Fire Department had added staffing and pre-positioned ground and aerial resources ahead of the event.
Sheriff’s units were assigned to fire watch
The Sheriff’s Department said the units that responded to the Little Tujunga Canyon Road fire had been deployed to conduct fire watch duties in the area in anticipation of the red flag event.
In the county advisory, the department said it was taking proactive steps to prepare to respond quickly and effectively to any emergencies that might arise during the warning.
Sheriff’s department warns about reckless fires
In its news release on the arrest, the department said that “starting a fire recklessly is inherently dangerous, especially during red-flag warnings for high-wind events.” It said strong winds can carry burning embers over long distances, ignite multiple fires and turn a small fire into an uncontrollable wildfire.
Capt. Ryan A. Vienna, commander of the Crescenta Valley Station, credited firefighters with extinguishing “a potentially disastrous fire that could have affected all LA County residents.”
Vienna said in a written statement that the station remains committed to “increasing our presence through field deployments during these events to save lives and property in the communities we serve.”
Red flag parking restrictions in effect
The Los Angeles Fire Department activated its Red Flag Parking Restriction Program at 6 a.m. Saturday for at least 24 hours, according to an LAFD alert. The department said vehicles parked illegally in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones can be towed.
The department said it is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary.
Arson detail seeks information from the public
The Sheriff’s Department’s Arson and Explosives Detail is continuing to investigate the fire. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the detail at (323) 881-7500.
No prosecutor charges reported as of Monday
As of Monday, Nov. 9, no criminal charges from a prosecutor had been reported against Nartatez. The investigation remains active.
