Cranston Fire: Temecula man charged with starting 9 fires, including massive Idyllwild blaze

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Friday, July 27, 2018
Temecula man charged with starting Cranston Fire, 8 others
A Temecula man has been charged with intentionally starting nine fires, including the devastating 11,500-acre Cranston Fire in Riverside County's Idyllwild area.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Temecula man has been charged with intentionally starting nine fires, including the devastating 11,500-acre Cranston Fire in Riverside County's Idyllwild area.

Brandon N. McGlover was charged by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office Friday with 15 felony counts related to nine separate fires. His charges include one count of aggravated arson, five counts of arson of an inhabited structure and nine counts of arson of forest or wildland.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m.

Cranston Fire Map: Where Idyllwild brush fire is burning

If convicted as charged, McGlover faces a potential life sentence. He was being held in lieu of $1 million bail initially, but his bail was reset at $3.5 million at his arraignment hearing Friday.

Following the hearing, McGlover's attorney spoke out, maintaining his client's innocence.

The Cranston Fire began about noon Wednesday as the result of arson, according to authorities. McGlover, 32, was later arrested and booked for allegedly igniting several fires in Riverside County.

RELATED: Cranston Fire in Idyllwild area grows to 11,500 acres on 3rd day

The nine arson fires were all set on Wednesday and were in the Idyllwild, Anza and Sage areas, according to the DA's office.