Hikers in Los Angeles’ Runyon Canyon detained a man suspected of setting a fire along the popular trail on Sunday. The alleged arsonist reportedly used a blowtorch to ignite a tree, sparking a blaze that firefighters quickly contained to less than a half-acre near nearby homes.
The incident unfolded when hikers Davanh Dimarco and Scotty Mitchell noticed a man acting suspiciously. According to Fox LA, Mitchell confronted the man, who admitted to starting the fire and falsely claimed to be conducting a controlled burn as a “fire marshal.” Mitchell humorously told the man he was “Batman from Gotham City” to keep the situation light while detaining him.
Firefighters arrived within 15 minutes and managed to contain the fire, preventing it from spreading further. The Los Angeles Fire Department dispatched 53 firefighters to extinguish the flames, as reported by Deadline. The suspect was held by the hikers for over an hour before law enforcement arrived and arrested him.
This incident brought back memories of the larger Sunset Fire in January, which burned over 60 acres in the same area and caused mass evacuations. Dimarco mentioned having “PTSD from January” due to the previous fire, according to ABC7. The name of the suspect and potential charges have not been released.
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