A fire that scorched the hillside near Shiprock of Highway 111 on Saturday is believed to have been intentionally set.
At the scene: All five fire engines from the Palm Springs Fire Department responded to the brush fire at 1:37 p.m. Saturday just north of Gateway Drive, as did five additional engines from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), CalFire and the U.S. Department of Forestry.
- Flames were visible in multiple spots on the hillside. They were quickly extinguished. Approximately four acres was charred.
Suspicious person: At approximately 4 p.m., fire personnel noticed a man roaming near the area. Palm Springs Police arrived and made contact with him.
- Upon further investigation, police had reason to believe the 62-year-old Palm Springs resident was responsible for the fire. He was arrested an booked into jail in Banning on suspicion of arson.
