Californians confront man accused of starting LA fire until police make arrest

A group of Californians were captured on video confronting a man who allegedly set fire to trees and bushes in Los Angeles, holding him until police showed up to make an arrest. 

The tense scene unfolded Sunday along the Runyon Canyon in Hollywood Hills, where the devastating Sunset Fire began in January. 

“You started that fire? You just came from over there, we just saw you,” a woman is heard telling the man, who was wearing a red tank top shirt. 

“I did, you’re right. And I’m — yeah. You have the warrant for the murder right?” he responded, before turning away. 

The identity of the suspect is unclear. 

“He admitted he did it,” Davanh Dimarco, a witness, told Fox11 Los Angeles. “There was no one else coming out of the trees. Apparently, he had a blowtorch.” 

“He said, ‘I’m a fire marshal and this is a controlled burn,’” added another witness, Scotty Mitchell. “I said, ‘Show me your badge.’ Clearly, he didn’t have a badge. He probably doesn’t even have a toy badge.” 

Mitchell also described the incident as like “PTSD from January.” 

Fire crews that showed up on scene kept the blaze to under a half-acre, according to Fox11 Los Angeles.