A woman was arrested on suspicion of arson during the Los Angeles wildfires, but officials do not believe the incident is related to the devastating fires.
The woman, 60-year-old Gloria Lynn Mandich, was taken into custody and charged with arson in connection with a Jan. 8 wildfire in Los Angeles County, California State Parks, announced in a news release on Friday, Jan. 10.
The fire in question occurred near Leo Carrillo State Park in an area under a red flag warning due to multiple wildfires raging in the region, fanned by high winds and fueled by dry vegetation.
Although the major fires are only partially contained, the fire Mandich is accused of was “quickly extinguished” by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, California State Parks said.
Mandich, meanwhile, was booked into the Ventura County Jail, where her bail is currently set at $20,000, according to court documents viewed by PEOPLE.
The Kentucky resident now faces a charge for allegedly starting a fire in a building or wooded area, as well as a separate arson charge specific to fires started during an emergency, records show. She pleaded not guilty.
Mandich first appeared in court on January 10 and upcoming court hearings are scheduled for January 22 and 24, the latter of which will be a preliminary examination.
The prosecutor in the arson case did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, nor did Mandich’s attorney.
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A firefighter battles the Eaton fire in Altadena, California, on January 8, 2025
Elsewhere on January 10, authorities were dispatched to Pioneer Park in response to a reported wildfire. When they arrived, a bystander alerted them that a person was responsible for the flames and was still at the scene, Azusa police said in a news release.
The suspect, later identified as Jose Carranza-Escobar, was detained and admitted to setting the fire, police said. He was arrested for arson and subsequently arrested, and is currently being held.
The City of Azusa Public Works, in collaboration with Azusa Light and Water, is currently assessing damage caused by the fire, per police department. The investigation is still ongoing.
More than 80,000 people have been displaced by the LA wildfires since they started in Pacific Palisades on January 7. The Eaton Fire came shortly after around 6:30 PM the same day. By the morning of Wednesday, January 8, the fires had reached 10,000 acres in Pasadena and Altadena.
Thousands of structures, including businesses and residents’ homes, have been affected by the massive, fast-growing fires — which, still out of control, have already proven to be the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history.
At least 11 people died as a result of the fires on January 10, according to district officials.
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