 Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor AZUSA - Investigators are asking for public assistance in providing information regarding a fire that gutted the cafeteria of a shuttered elementary school Friday. Investigators ultimately deemed the fire at Mountain View Elementary school, 201 N. Vernon Ave., as arson. Beyond that, the Azusa Police Department has not provided any details regarding a possible suspect description, if one exists. District employees were on campus at the time, but it is unclear if any of those employees witnessed the start of the fire. The cafeteria was being used to store furniture, according to radio traffic from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Firefighters were dispatched to the school at 7:16 p.m. Friday, June 7. They discovered heavy smoke and flames coming from the cafeteria and initiated an aggressive fire attack to limit the damage. Knockdown was called at 8:06 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Mountain View was one of two campuses closed for the 2019-20 school year as a cost-saving measure to grapple with declining enrollment district wide. Anyone with information on this fire is urged to call the Azusa Police Department Detective Bureau at 626-812-3200. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor AZUSA - A West Covina man is facing felony charges stemming from an arson fire February 24.
Joe Monge, 41, was arrested Thursday, March 16, through the work of Azusa Police detectives and four Los Angeles County Fire Department arson investigators. A cell phone warrant was obtained to track Monge’s location, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The fire Monge is accused of setting burned February 24 around 7:10 a.m. in the 600 block of North Angeleno Avenue in a garage. No injuries were reported, according to the Azusa Police Department. County booking records detailing Monge’s arrest March 16 were not available.  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 - Two occupants who fled to the roof of a burning apartment were able to escape the property after a neighbor used a ladder to help them get down Saturday morning.
While the two occupants were saved, two firefighters did suffer injuries while extinguishing flames in the 1100 block of Calle De Las Estrellas, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “1 FF sustained non-life threatening burn injuries and has been transported to a local burn center for further evaluation. 1 FF sustained minor lower extremity injuries and has been transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,” according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department in a statement shared on social media. 27 firefighters knock down the flames in 41 minutes, sparing two adjacent apartment units from damage, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “Prior to FD arrival, quick acting neighbor threw a ladder to the roof and assisted two occupants of home safely to the ground. Their path downstairs and out the door was blocked by fire. As a result, they exited a 2nd floor window, taking refuge on the roof,” according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Visit the Los Angeles County Fire Department website for information on safety tips on an array of topics.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor AZUSA – Investigators were working to determine the cause of a fire at a home September 23. Firefighters were dispatched to the 600 block of West Hollyvale Street just after 4 p.m. and found smoke billowing from the rear of the property. Firefighters increased the response to a second alarm, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “It turned out to be a well-involved detached garage,” according to Dispatch Supervisor Michael Pittman of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The fire also threatened nearby structures. A minor of an undisclosed age was hospitalized for unspecified injuries, Pittman told SGV CityWatch. Two residents were displaced. The American Red Cross provided temporary housing for the affected residents.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor AZUSA - A fire at a mobile home park Saturday night damaged two units and displaced at least 10 residents, a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher said.
The fire also killed a dog at Arrow Pines Mobile Estates, 1081 W. Arrow Hwy., September 5. Firefighters were dispatched at 11:13 p.m. After arriving, firefighters were able to knock down flames at 11:42 p.m., according to dispatch supervisor Michael Pittman of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No injuries were reported. There was no word on the cause of 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. Biggest Challenge: Scorching Heat as Firefighters Gain 3 Percent Containment on Ranch 2 Fire8/15/2020  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.  |
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