It was initially reported as an arrest made on the suspicion of arson, with Sean Dinse of the LAPD’s Topanga Division telling news station KTLA on Thursday night that the authorities believed someone had purposefully set the Kenneth Fire.

Law enforcement officers responded to reports of a man attempting to light a fire behind a van in Woodland Hills.

The arrest occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Ybarra Road, just south of the fire’s origin, after local residents reportedly spotted the suspect attempting to ignite a blaze. The residents detained him until police arrived, with photos shared on the Citizen app showing officers surrounding the scene where the man was taken into custody.

At least 10 people have been killed as a result of the wildfires, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said on Thursday.

It would take four days before firefighters could establish even a short line of containment around it. And yet, well before the Palisades Fire ignited Tuesday morning, preparations had begun for aggressive firefighting.

A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews make some progress in controlling the infernos on Friday (January 10), but strong gusts returning next week could resuscitate the flames.