32-Year-Old Arrested, Accused of Setting Destructive Cranston Fire in Riverside County
"Leave the area immediately,'' a USFS Twitter post advised as the fire burned in the San Jacinto Mountains east of Los Angeles
By Staff and City News Service ••
An arson suspect was arrested in relation to the Cranston Fire in Idyllwild, which grew to 4,700 acres Wednesday night. Robert Kovacik reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on July 25, 2018.
What to Know
Investigators were looking into the possibility that the cause was arson
The fire has burned thousands of acres in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County
Highway 74 between Cranston Fire Station and Lake Hemet and Highway 243 between Pine Cove and Mountain Center were closed
A 32-year-old man from Temecula was arrested on suspicion of arson Wednesday night after he was accused of setting multiple fires, one of which burned thousands of acres in the San Bernardino National Forest, destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee.
Brandon N. McGlover was arrested on suspicion of five counts of arson to wildland after the Cranston Fire erupted earlier the same day.
The Cranston Fire consumed at least 4,700 acres, leveled five residential structures and closed roads. As of Wednesday night, the fire was 5 percent contained.
San Bernardino National Forest
Booking photo of Brandon n. McGlover, 32, of Temecula, who was arrested in relation to Cranston Fire in Idyllwild.
The Cranston Fire was reported at around noon off state Route 74 in the forest area between Hemet and Mountain Center, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire was burning "with a rapid rate of spread," according to the USFS.
Meghan Reyes/KNBC-TV
Images show the day after the Cranston Fire began burning Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Kevin Tidwell/California Interagency Incident Management Team 1
A thank-you sign is seen in July 2018 during the Cranston fire in Riverside County.
Kevin Tidwell/California Interagency Incident Management Team 1
A thank-you sign is seen in a business window in July 2018 during the Cranston fire in Riverside County.
Smoke blankets the area of the Cranston fire in July 2018 in Riverside County.
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A smoke plume rises over Riverside County Friday July 27, 2018 from the Cranston fire.
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A smoke plume rises over Riverside County Friday July 27, 2018 from the Cranston fire.
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Red fire retardant covers a Riverside County property Friday July 27, 2018 during the Cranston fire.
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Red fire retardant covers a Riverside County property Friday July 27, 2018 during the Cranston fire.
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Firefighters attend a morning briefing Friday July 27, 2018 before another day of battling the Cranston fire in brutal heat.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Friday July 27, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Friday July 27, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Friday July 27, 2018 in Riverside County.
Toni Guinyard
Images show the smokey skies over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Toni Guinyard
Images show the smokey skies over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Frank Lopez
The view from Palm Springs facing west toward Idyllwild.
Matt Spencer
A view of the Cranston fire Wednesday July 26, 2018 from Palm Springs.
Toni Guinyard/KNBC-TV
A view of the Cranston fire burn area Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A view of the Cranston fire burn area Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
Meghan Reyes
NewsChopper4 shows an aerial view of the smoke above the destructive Cranston blaze Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Meghan Reyes
Aerial images in NewsChopper4 show the sun rising over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Meghan Reyes
Smoke and the sun rising over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018, the morning after the blaze began.
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A still smoking husk of a home is all that remains of this property in the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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A home burned in the Cranston blaze Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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A bike burned along with a home in the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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The Cranston Fire was at 4,700 acres and 5 percent contained the morning of Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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The Cranston Fire near the Idyllwild area continues to burn a day after the fire may have been intentionally set Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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Residents under evacuation in the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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A home was still smoking a day after the Cranston Fire ripped through the area Thursday, July 26, 2018.
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A view of smoke from the Cranston fire as seen Wednesday July 26, 2018 from Temecula.
Elizabeth Anne King
A view of smoke from the Cranston fire as seen Wednesday July 25, 2018 from the Beaumont-Banning area.
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Bright red fire retardant was dropped near and on homes in the path of the Cranston fire Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
Toni Guinyard/KNBC-TV
Fire trucks are seen at the staging site for the Cranston fire burning Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
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A line of vehicles can be seen during evacuations due to the Cranston fire Wednesday July 25, 2018 in Riverside County.
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Smoke blankets mountains due to the Cranston fire Thursday July 26, 2018 in Riverside County.
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Aerial Footage of the Cranston Fire on the evening of July 25, 2018.
Gil Leyvas/KNBC-TV
Aerial Footage of the Cranston Fire on the evening of July 25, 2018.
Gil Leyvas/KNBC-TV
Aerial Footage of the Cranston Fire on the evening of July 25, 2018.
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A house burns near Idyllwild during the Cranston fire on July 25, 2018.
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The fire was burning "with a rapid rate of spread," according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents of southwest Idyllwild, as well as Mountain Center along McGaugh and McCall Park roads.
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"Leave the area immediately," a USFS Twitter post advised.
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Authorities have also issued a smoke advisory for the region, advising that winds could bring smoke into various parts of Riverside County.
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Flames rush up a ridge in the San Bernardino National Forest during the Cranston Fire on July 25, 2018.
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A nearby resident prepares to evacuate from the Cranston Fire on July 25, 2018.
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A car is loaded as residents prepare to evacuate from the Cranston Fire on July 25, 2018.
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Road closures include state Route 74 between the Cranston Fire Station and Lake Hemet, as well as state Route 243 between the communities of Pine Cove and Mountain Center, where authorities say flames jumped the highway near the Idyllwild Grinding Facility.
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Authorities have established an evacuation center for residents and campers at Banning High School, 100 W. Westward Ave.
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Flames threaten a neighborhood during the Cranston Fire on July 25, 2018.
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AL ROJO VIVO
LA Metro
Alex Vasquez/KNBC-TV
A house near Idyllwild "completely burned to the ground," per NBC4's Alex Vasquez.
Alex Vasquez/KNBC-TV
The Cranston Fire burns near Idyllwild on July 25, 2018.
Kitty Alvarado
"When a fire has a lot of heat and instability available, like the Cranston Fire does this kind of cloud, called a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, can form.n nThe intense upward motion moved these clouds 50,000 feet into the sky and there were several lightning strikes we tracked on our First Alert Radar Network.n nThink back to the Thomas Fire last year. The Santa Ana winds were too strong to allow the clouds to grow up so all of the smoke was pushed to the Pacific Ocean. It was also cold so there wasn’t much instability." -NBC4 Meteorologist Anthony Yanez
Toni Guinyard
Images show the smokey skies over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Toni Guinyard
Images show the smokey skies over the Cranston Fire Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Matt Spencer
A view of the Cranston fire Wednesday July 26, 2018 from Palm Springs.
No injuries have been reported in connection with the blaze, which was zero percent contained as of Wednesday night. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but California Highway Patrol Officer Darren Meyer said a motorist who witnesses said was spotted "near the origin of the fire" was detained.
A light-colored sedan matching the description provided by witnesses was spotted at around 12:30 p.m. near Newport Road and State Street in Hemet, Meyer said. An enforcement stop was conducted by the CHP, Riverside County Sheriff's Department and Hemet Police Department and the driver was arrested.
Authorities had not yet confirmed whether the man captured on video being detained by officers was McGlover.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents of Idyllwild, Mountain Center along McGaugh and McCall Park roads and the communities of Pine Cove and Fern Valley.
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"Leave the area immediately," a USFS Twitter post advised.
At least 110 homes in southwest Idyllwild have been evacuated, and officials said at least 600 more structures were threatened by the blaze. Television news footage showed at least a few homes going up in flames.
Authorities have established an evacuation center for residents and campers at Banning High School, 100 W. Westward Ave. Small animals can also be evacuated to Banning High School, while animals of all sizes can be taken to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave.
Road closures include state Route 74 between the Cranston Fire Station and Lake Hemet, as well as state Route 243 between the communities of Pine Cove and Mountain Center, where authorities say flames jumped the highway near the Idyllwild Grinding Facility. The fire has also taken out power to more than 7,700 Southern California Edison customers in the Idyllwild area, according to an SCE online outage map.
#CranstonFire If you are trying to reach the Riverside County Dept. of Animal Services at 951-358-7387, please stay on the line through their recording to be transferred to their emergency line.
— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) July 26, 2018
Full restoration was expected at around 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities have also issued a smoke advisory for the region, advising that winds could bring smoke into various parts of Riverside County, including the Coachella Valley, Banning Pass, the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley, Perris Valley and Anza.
The advisory will be in effect through Thursday morning.
McGlover was also accused of setting several other fires Wednesday in the southwest Riverside County area and along Highway 74.
A fire information call center for the public has also been established at (909) 383-5688.
