The Kenneth Fire is sweeping through West Hills, prompting mass evacuations in Calabasas and Hidden Hills. This wildfire, now under investigation as arson, has led to the arrest of one suspect. Approximately 900 first responders are battling the flames, which have already consumed over 800 acres and resulted in the destruction of at least 10,000 structures. Authorities suspect the fire was intentionally set, with a witness reporting a man attempting to ignite it before the suspect was detained by local residents. The investigation is ongoing, and the area is currently under lockdown as the death toll rises to seven.
A fast-moving apocalyptic fire that caused mass evacuations in Calabasas and Hidden Hills is being investigated as an arson incident, and one suspect has been arrested.
The Kenneth Fire is rapidly ravaging the West Hills, with 900 exhausted first responders pulled in from other high-priority infernos in Southern California to protect homes and contain the flames.
A suspect is now in custody on suspicion of intentionally starting the fire, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Chief Charles Dinsel told NewsNation.
“Approximately 20 to 30 minutes later, the suspect was taken into custody by members of the public in the Woodland Hills area,” he said. “This is being investigated as a crime.”
Asked directly if he believed the arson was intentional, Dinsel said: “At this point, we believe so.” yes. ‘
He said there was no clear motive, adding that the area was currently on “lockdown” pending further investigation.
As three raging fires spiral out of control, authorities are slowly beginning to unravel the widespread devastation beneath the flames, with the death toll rising to seven on Thursday night and at least 10,000 structures destroyed. It is reported that it was completely burnt down.
Officials told DailyMail.com that around 4:30 p.m., a resident called 911 to report a man was trying to start a fire in the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.
The suspect was arrested and taken to the Topanga station.
The Kenneth Fire is rapidly ravaging the West Hills, forcing 900 exhausted first responders to retreat from other priority fires in Southern California to protect homes and contain the flames.
Rapid-fire apocalyptic fire that caused mass evacuations in Calabasas and Hidden Hills is being investigated as arson, and one suspect has been arrested
Officials told DailyMail.com that around 4:30 p.m., a resident called 911 to report a man was trying to start a fire in the 21700 block of Ybarra Road.
Heroic first responders are alerted to a recent fire that started above the Los Angeles-Ventura county line and is quickly spreading to the West Hills, invading homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills. received.
Authorities issued a dire warning Thursday night advising residents not to ignore evacuation orders, with Sen. Adam Schiff bluntly stating, “If you stay here, you’re going to die.”
“At this time, we cannot confirm that there is a connection to the fire,” Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison said.
The arrest confirms Hollywood stars’ worst fears that their homes will be targeted.
“Happy Days” star Henry Winkler, 79, wrote on social media: “There’s an arsonist here in Los Angeles.” May you be beaten beyond recognition!!!The pain you have caused!!!”
Actress Alison Sweeney responded, “I agree.”
Singer Chris Brown also had his doubts, writing: “Someone started this fire.” The totals don’t add up. ”
Television personality Elizabeth Chambers chimed in, telling fans: “This feels so much more than natural.”
After confirming that the suspected arsonist had been arrested, Winkler updated his original post to add: “We have one person in custody so far.”
Los Angeles Fire Department officials initially dismissed the claims, saying, “There is currently no way to know exactly how or where the fires started, but the investigation is ongoing.”
Los Angeles Fire Department responds after Henry Winkler makes shocking claims about the cause of California wildfires
Malibu coastline devastated by Palisades wildfires
Singer Chris Brown also had his doubts, writing: “Someone started this fire.” The totals don’t add up.”
Heroic first responders are alerted to a recent fire above the Los Angeles-Ventura County border that is rapidly spreading through the West Hills and invading homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills. received.
Authorities issued a dire warning Thursday night advising residents not to ignore evacuation orders, with Sen. Adam Schiff bluntly stating, “If you stay here, you’re going to die.”
“If you get an evacuation order, get out quickly,” he said. “You may think you can survive the fires, but you can’t avoid these fires. If you stay here, you’ll die in them.”
The fast-moving Kenneth Fire has already engulfed 960 acres and is threatening the Malibu Canyon area north of Highway 101 near Calabasas, home to Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Kim and Khloe Kardashian live nearby in Hidden Hills.
Firefighters dropped water bombs from the sky to extinguish the fire caused by Santa Ana’s strong winds, and a mandatory evacuation order was issued.
Roads out of Calabasas soon became heavily congested as locals heeded the warning and abandoned their homes.
Residents across Southern California have been warned for several days to pack bags full of important documents and belongings and have them ready for quick access in case of an emergency.
The fire was reported at 50 acres at 3:45 p.m., but had exploded to 791 acres by 4:45 p.m. By 6 p.m., they had surrounded the 960-acre property.
Late Thursday, the mandatory evacuation order related to the Kenneth Fire was reduced to an evacuation advisory after authorities were successful in preventing further advance.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place as firefighters drop water bombs from the sky to extinguish a fire caused by strong Santa Ana winds.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in Calabasas and Hidden Hills, causing chaos on the roads.
Helicopter sprays water on Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills
The total death toll from all fires rose to seven, but authorities say dogs trained to detect human remains have been given access to the ruins of buildings in fire-ravaged areas. has warned that the number of deaths is likely to continue to rise.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna called for “patience” regarding the official death toll.
“At this point, frankly, we don’t know yet,” he said. “I think the death toll will be higher. I hope I’m wrong.”
About 180,000 people across Los Angeles are under mandatory evacuation orders, and another 200,000 people are on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Los Angeles County officials announced Thursday afternoon that an evacuation alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide.
This alert was only for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.
The damage caused by the two largest fires, the Pacific Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, is immeasurable. Officials said up to 10,000 structures were destroyed.
Cal Fire spokesman David Acuña issued a chilling new warning for Californians looking to the future and rebuilding their lives.
“There’s really no fire season. This is a fire year,” he said. “I’ve been doing this job for 20 years and I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Similarly, Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said, “The level of devastation is staggering.”
Both of the two major fires have not been extinguished.
Eaton’s area is currently 13,690 acres, while the larger Palisades fire has spread to more than 17,200 acres.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said in a social media post Thursday afternoon that high fire danger conditions will continue into Friday.
Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds are expected Thursday night, and the fire weather threat will continue into Friday morning for areas centered on Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“But the threat does not end after Friday,” the post said. Offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as Sunday.
Systemic flaws in the deep blue city have led many to wonder how things got out of hand and call for Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom to resign. .
Mr Bass is under pressure to resign amid the ongoing bushfire crisis after revelations that fire hydrants were empty as brave firefighters struggled to find enough water to battle the inferno.
About 180,000 people have been issued mandatory evacuation orders across Los Angeles, and another 200,000 are on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes.
Evacuation orders have been issued for local residents as fires continue to spread in Southern California
Kim Kardashian’s $60 million home is located in Hidden Hills
Calabasas and Hidden Hills, the latest suburbs under threat, are home to the Kardashian family
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Los Angeles County officials announced Thursday afternoon that an evacuation alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide. This alert was only for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills
She cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by $17.6 million in 2024 after negotiating a reduction from $23 million in cuts, but the agency ignored warnings about the fire threat.
President Joe Biden later said the issue was self-inflicted to avoid further flare-ups.
“What I learned from talking to the governor is that there is concern that we may also be experiencing a water shortage,” he said at a news conference Thursday.
“The reality is, understandably, the power company shut off the power because they were worried that the power lines carrying the energy would be blown down, causing more fires.”
“When that was done, it cut off the generating capacity to pump water, which caused the hydrants to run out of water.”