Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Police arrested a man who may have possibly ignited the small brush fire that burned for a few hours about homes in Azusa Saturday.

Artemio Sanchez-Gutierrez, 30, was booked on suspicion of arson. He told the Los Angeles County Fire arson investigators that he put out a cigarette in the area where the fire started and believes he may have ignited the small brush fire, according to the Azusa Police Department.

The fire scorched about one and a half acres to two acres in the hillside above Azusa February 12, according to Dispatch Supervisor Melanie Flores of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Water dropping helicopters equipped with night vision aided ground crews in keeping the fire from expanding.

Firefighters are continuing mop-up of the location this morning, Flores told SGV CityWatch.

Sanchez was issued a citation and released, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Police suspect a transient camp cooking fire in the San Gabriel Mountains led to a small spot fire Thursday.

The fire was reported to police at 5 p.m. in the 1900 block of North San Gabriel Canyon Road June 2. Officers used their patrol vehicle fire extinguishers and dirt to knock out the flames, according to the Azusa Police Department.

The fire was estimated at 10 feet by 10 feet, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department radio traffic.

Investigators detained former San Bernardino resident Daniel Velez, 42, and later booked him on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire and occupying property without consent, Azusa Police said.

The occupying offense is a misdemeanor, Azusa Police said.

Velez is being held in lieu of $20,000 ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina courthouse June 7, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

REGION - The transient who admitted to setting the Ranch 2 Fire that burned above Azusa was sentenced to prison time recently.

Osmin Palencia, 37, pleaded no contest March 16 to one count of arson during an emergency. He was sentenced to five years in state prison. He must also register as an arson offender, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Palencia surrendered himself at the Azusa Police Department August 16, 2020.

The Ranch 2 fire burned more than 4,237 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Azusa Police quickly learned after the fire erupted that arson was to blame and named Palencia as a suspect.

Palencia is a transient who lived In the San Gabriel River near where the fire erupted, Azusa Police said.

The Ranch 2 Fire was first reported around 2:45 p.m. August 13, 2020.

The fire ignited along Highway 39 and Ranch Road, near homes nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Firefighters have just stopped forward progress of a 50-foot-by-50-foot spot fire at the base of the foothills on the border with Duarte Friday morning.

The fire is burning near the end of Encanto Parkway north of Huntington Drive, south of the long defunct Azusa Gun Club, according to the Los Angeles county fire department.

The fire is burning in medium fuels in the riverbed.

A full brushfire response was initially requested by the Los Angeles county fire department, but a battalion chief has canceled a request for aircraft and for bulldozers and is confident that ground crews currently on scene can handle the fire.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - The man sought for allegedly igniting the 2,256-acre Ranch 2 Fire turned himself in to police Sunday.

Osmin Palencia, 36, surrendered himself to Azusa officers, according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Azusa Police quickly learned after the fire erupted that arson was to blame. Police did not state how Palencia became a suspect.

Palencia is a transient who lives In the San Gabriel riverbed near where the fire erupted, Azusa Police said.

Booking information for Palencia was not readily available.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Ground crews continue building containment lines around the Ranch 2 Fire burning in treacherous terrain in the Azusa mountains Saturday.

Firefighters have further revised acreage burned to 1,400 with 3 percent containment. Crews will have greater emphasis on building containment lines on the northern flank of the fire to prevent deeper spread into the wilderness, according to the US Forest Service.

Greater containment lines were established on the south side of the fire overnight near the gated Mountain Cove community as minimal fire activity occurred near the homes.

Firefighters will scout for topographical features to aid in extending containment lines, the US Forest Service said.

Weather over the next four days will be the biggest challenge for ground crews.

Temperatures will be in the low hundreds Saturday through Wednesday. Humidity is expected to be from 17 to 22 percent. Thunderstorms and unstable winds are possible Saturday, the US Forest Service said.

Due to the Ranch 2 Fire and fire weather conditions in the San Gabriel Valley, Highway 39 remains closed from Sierra Madre Avenue to East Fork Road.

Glendora Mountain Road is closed from Big Dalton Road to East Fork Road.

Glendora Ridge Road is closed from GMR to Mt. Baldy Road.

Santa Anita Canyon Road is closed from Arno Drive to Chantry Flats Road.

Azusa Police and Los Angeles County Fire investigators suspect arson as the cause of the Ranch 2 Fire.

Police named local transient Osmin Palencia, 36, as an arson suspect. He lives in the San Gabriel riverbed near the origin of the fire.

Palencia is considered violent and people should avoid contact.

Anyone with information on Palencia’s whereabouts is urged to call Azusa Police at 626-812-3200.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Police and Fire investigators are looking for a man they say is connected to the fast-moving Ranch Fire.

Los Angeles County Fire Department arson investigators and Azusa officers immediately worked to determine the origin of the fire and deemed it as arson, according to the Azusa Police Department.

Osmin Palencia is a 36-year-old transient who lives in the San Gabriel riverbed near the origin of the Ranch Fire. Palenica is said to have violent tendencies and people should use caution if they see him, Azusa Police said.

Anyone with information on Palencia’s whereabouts is urged to call the Azusa Police Department at 626-812-3200.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - The Ranch Fire scorching the Azusa Canyons continues to move north in the San Gabriel Mountains Friday.

After a better assessment of fire activity, authorities now say 2,500 acres have burned. No containment has been reached, according to the US Forest Service.

“Fire activity is expected to increase today due to forecasted weather conditions,” the US Forest Service said.

Evacuees from the Mountain Cove gated community were allowed to return home after orders were lifted at 11 p.m. Thursday, according to the Azusa Police Department.

The Ranch Fire was first reported around 2:45 p.m. August 13.

The fire ignited along Highway 39 and Ranch Road, near homes nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Roughly an hour into the firefight, some residents of Mountain Cove were issued a mandatory evacuation order. Certain residents were under voluntary evacuations, according to the Azusa Police Department.

As the day progressed, the Fire, while still posing a threat, inched away from homes.

200 fire personnel are on scene. Fire vehicles will remain in the area for the next three days to monitor fire activity.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - All Mountain Cove residents are being asked to evacuate after a rapidly-spreading brush fire has ignited.

The fire is burning along San Gabriel Canyon Road bear Ranch Road. The fire is roughly 30 acres and growing, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Mountain Cove area north and west of Turning Leaf are under mandatory evacuations, according to the Azusa Police Department.

No traffic will be allowed north towards the Mountain Cove gated community, according to the Azusa Police Department.

The fire has a potential to burn 1,000 acres, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

AZUSA - Firefighters made quick work of a vegetation fire that sparked inside the San Gabriel Riverbed Monday night.

A small 20-foot by 20-foot spot fire sparked just before 11:30 p.m. October 15. Firefighters were dispatched at 11:27 p.m. to the riverbed near the 3400 block of Encanto Parkway, according to Dispatch Supervisor Miguel Ornelas of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters declared the fire knocked down at 11:56 p.m.

No injuries were reported. The fire’s cause is still being investigated, Ornelas said.