The fire started around 1 p.m. at 162 Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The blaze was extinguished in 31 minutes and no structures were damaged or destroyed.
Aerials: Firefighters contain small brush fire in Griffith Park
Los Angeles police said the suspect was taken into custody in the 1700 block of Kenmore Avenue. Officers initially responded to the 2900 block of Glendower Avenue and after investigating, tracked down the suspect 1.4 miles away.
The fire was set during a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service due to "very strong Santa Ana winds" with humidity "drastically lower to the single digits."
No other details were released.