California investigators detained a suspected arsonist Sunday in the fast-growing Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 1,300 acres and forced over 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The wildfire in the Santa Monica Mountains, about 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, started burning Friday and quickly spread to a massive area Saturday afternoon because of heavy winds, authorities said.
© Ringo H.W. ChiuFlames from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday.
Flames from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/)
"That's when we went from about 100 acres to 750 acres or so in about an hour," said Albert Ward, operations chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The blaze continued growing the following day, nearly doubling in size, and was still 0% contained Sunday night, Ward said in a video update. Besides weather, officials said the steep and dry terrain in the area has also complicated efforts to get the fire under control.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officers in a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter reportedly spotted a person setting fires in the area Friday night. One person was detained and released and a second person was being questioned Sunday in connection to the case, according to the fire department.
"During the course of the investigation, LAFD Arson Investigators and LAPD have aggressively tracked down any and all potential leads," the agency said in a statement.
© Provided by New York Daily NewsA Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter watches from his truck during a wildfire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Sunday.
A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter watches from his truck during a wildfire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Sunday. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/)
The identity of the suspected arsonist was not immediately released.
Evacuation orders have been issued for more than 1,000 homes in the area, including many in the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. Fire officials also urged residents living anywhere near the blaze to prepare for a potential evacuation.
"Gather your valuables, medicines etc and load them into your car so you are ready if asked to evacuate," the fire department said in an alert Sunday.
Authorities said they would hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday, local time, to share more details on the investigation and update the public on the firefighting efforts.