Homeless Man Suspected of Causing Palisades Fire A 48-year-old homeless man was charged May 18 with arson in connection with a 1,158-acre brush fire in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The hunt for the arsonist began May 15, when a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) helicopter spotted a man moving around a bush near a blaze that began the day prior, LAPD Capt. Erik Scott told The Epoch Times. “They witnessed the individual ignite multiple additional fires,” he said. Police began searching for the man, but the hunt was called off after a few hours due to the fire’s rapid growth. Police later resumed their search and arrested Ramon Rodriguez Flores May 16 in rugged terrain.