Canyon fire called arson

Suzie Harrison

The Orange County Fire Authority has determined that Tuesday’s fire

in Laguna Beach was not accidental. The fire started shortly after 1

p.m. on Laguna Canyon Road across from the Sawdust Festival grounds.

Laguna Beach police have a suspect in custody, but a police

officer with the Orange County Fire Authority, who has the authority

to make arrests related to arson, interviewed the suspect that the

Laguna Beach Police brought in to question.

“Our investigators participated in that interview and found

nothing to arrest him on,” fire authority spokesman Stephen Miller

said.

Miller said that he didn’t believe that the Laguna police, who

still have the suspect in custody, would charge the suspect with

arson when fire authority investigators wouldn’t.

But Laguna Beach Police Capt. Danell Adams said a man detained

after he was seen leaving the origin of the fire is still a suspect.

“What we have so far is that an Edison employee saw the fire, sees

a male individual walking out back by the Edison plant,” Laguna Beach

Police Captain Field Services Commander, Paul Workman said. “The

Edison employee detained him and called us on his cell phone.”

“We pursued him and apprehended him less than 12 feet away from

the fire,” Adams said.

The suspect, Arlan Ramirez, 28, a transient from the Tustin area,

is still in custody and being questioned under suspicion of fleeing

from an officer.

“We’re still investigating it, we’ll bring it to the district

attorney,” Adams said. “There is not enough evidence to file charges

for arson.”

On Thursday afternoon, Ramirez was in Harbor Court answering

charges for obstruction.

“If we can prove any connection to the fire, we’ll have to refile

that,” Adams said.

Workman said a lot of transients live in the brush where the fire

started.

Soon after the plumes of smoke became visible, Lagunans began to

make their way into the streets to see how worried they should be.

Many stood and watched, stuck Downtown after police closed Laguna

Canyon Road. Others made good use of their cell phones to call home

and determine whether their houses and loved ones were safe.

Emergency workers were quick on the scene. The Orange County Fire

Authority along with the Laguna Beach and Newport Beach fire

departments and the California Division of Forestry had about 100

firefighters, two water-dropping helicopters and two bulldozers on

scene to fight the flames.

The blaze started near the Edison power substation on the on

Laguna Canyon Road.

“It burned about 15 acres,” Miller said. “It was 100% contained as

of 5 p.m. [Tuesday] night,” Miller said.

“We all work together beautifully, working hand in hand with our

command post,” Miller said. “We know they’re sensitive areas.”

Anyone with information about the fire should call the arson tip

hotline at 1-800-540-8282.