At 6 a.m. Thursday morning a fire broke out in the Angeles National Forest ultimately burning at least 1,700 acres of land, including 5 homes and 17 other structures.
According to Glendora police, three men have been arrested on charges of recklessly starting the fire. The suspects, Clifford E. Hendry (22), Jonathan C. Jarell (23), and Steven R. Aguirre (21) had apparently been illegally camping in a no-camping zone when a breeze carried a flame from their campfire onto nearby brush, which quickly ignited and set the blaze into motion.
Chief of the Glendora police, Tim Staab, said the foothills around Glendora had not burned significantly since the 1960s, leaving the area with plenty dry brush. The brush, coupled with the 20 mph winds, made for a rapidly moving fire. In addition, Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency due to what is being called the worst drought in the past 100 years.
As of now, the winds have slowed down, allowing firefighters to contain at least 30% of the fire. 1,700 Glendora residents had been evacuated, but many are being allowed back into their homes. There are currently 800 firefighters working to contain the fire, two of which have sustained injuries.
Each of the suspects is being held on $20,000 bail.