A fire that engulfed a house in Santa Ana Thursday was intentionally set by a man upset over a recent divorce, police said.
The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. at a two-story, single-family home in the 1000 block of West Washington Avenue, according to Capt. Larry Kurtz of the Orange County Fire Authority.
About 30 firefighters responded to the intense blaze and battled the flames from outside the structure, according to Kurtz, who said no injuries were reported.
Before the fire broke out, officers had responded to a family disturbance call at the house, according to Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.
When they arrived, the man was inside "breaking stuff," Bertagna said.
He went to the back of the home and while officers were devising a plan to deal with him, he allegedly set the home ablaze and came running outside, where he was taken into custody, according to Bertagna.
The 35-year-old man faces two counts of arson, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
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Flames were visible in every window of the home when firefighters arrived. Eight people were displace from the home.
Crews from the OCFA were assisted at the scene by Orange firefighters.
Despite the allegations of police, the OCFA reached no immediate conclusion about the fire's cause and was continuing to investigate, Kurtz said.
