Arson suspect arrested in connection with Yorba Linda brush fire

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was arrested for arson in connection with a brush fire in Yorba Linda Thursday afternoon.

The fire broke out near the 21400 block of Casino Ridge Road at about 12:15 p.m. The suspect was identified as Erik Virgil, 26, of Torrance.

Video shot by AIR7 HD showed a man detained by sheriff's deputies being transferred to an ambulance in Yorba Linda. The man was questioned after deputies said they spotted him running from a white truck surrounded by burning vegetation.

"The smoke was really black and it was intense, and there was a little gust so that was kind of scary because it's kind of unpredictable," said Courtney Garcia of Yorba Linda, who called 911 shortly after noon.

Firefighters fought the blaze by air and by ground. The rugged terrain made access tough for firefighters.

"You can see it's a wilderness area that abuts the city of Yorba Linda, but it's really between the city of Yorba Linda and the Chino Hills State Park," said Capt. Matt Levesque with the Orange County Fire Authority.

The Orange County Sheriff's Airship "Duke" helped spot the suspect. Several minutes later, they got unexpected help from Los Angeles County Sheriff Air 5, which happened to be in the area.

"A couple of their SWAT personnel deployed and were able to take the male adult into custody. They put him on the airship and flew him out of the area where they met with our ground units," said Lt. Jeff Hallock with the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

The Fire Authority said about six acres burned, and the fire was under control by 3 p.m.

No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.