Azusa police have arrested a 39-year-old homeless man on arson charges after arriving to find him standing just steps away from a brush fire in Pioneer Park.

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted the second week of January and roared across the Los Angeles area.

Officers in Azusa, California have arrested a man suspected of arson following a brush fire that broke out in Pioneer Park. As wildfires ravage Southern California, Azusa Police Department apprehended unhoused man Jose Carranza-Escobar on suspicion of igniting the fire at around 11:40pm on Friday as he was standing near the flames.

The Azusa Police Department this weekend arrested a homeless man suspected of setting a brush fire at a park located near the foothills.

Jose Carranza-Escobar was found standing next to the flames in Pioneer Park in Azusa, Calif., authorities said Saturday.

A man was arrested on suspicion of purposely starting a brush fire in Azusa, police announced. First responders were called to Pioneer Park shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Friday, according to the Azusa Police Department. There, a witness told officers the man who ignited the blaze was still at the scene.

According to Azusa police, a man who has admitted to setting a fire at a park has been arrested as the investigation continues.

The Kenneth fire exploded in a few hours. The Palisades and Eaton fires each appeared to have destroyed some 5,000 or more structures, officials said, which would put them both among the five most destructive fires in California history.

FIRST ON FOX VIDEO: Police and residents of Azusa, California, a small city in Los Angeles County, teamed up Friday to stop a suspected arsonist in his tracks as at least three large wildfires ...

Dozens of people have been arrested in the wake of the Southern California wildfires, and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is vowing to go after criminals taking advantage of victims.

A second day of windy and dry conditions is in store for Southern California. Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.

California still considers looting a crime. Newsom debunked the claim on X, and prosecutors have charged multiple people with looting.