The man charged with setting a fire that burned more than 130 acres in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve allegedly told investigators that he got into an altercation with a bicyclist along the trail, which angered him and led him to set fire to a large tumbleweed, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
Brandon James Glasgo, 30, pleaded not guilty to a felony arson count during an arraignment hearing in San Diego Superior Court Wednesday. He is accused of starting the Sorrento fire Sunday in the canyon east of Interstate 5, near Sorrento Valley Boulevard, forcing evacuations and road closures.
Firefighters halted the spread of the fire at about 138 acres roughly 5½ hours after it broke out. No structural damage or injuries were reported.
Glasgo was arrested after a resident spotted him walking out of an open, brushy area off Vista Sorrento Parkway as the flames began spreading, according to San Diego police.
At his arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Jacob Carbajal said Glasgo admitted to police that he started the fire.
Glasgo later apologized for setting the fire, though Carbajal claimed he laughed and said he maybe should have tried stamping the fire out after being told it had grown to more than 130 acres.
He later allegedly pointed out the fire’s origin point on a map, which Carbajal said matched the spot investigators determined to be the location where the fire started.
Glasgo’s bail is set at $75,000. If released, he must abide by conditions that include GPS monitoring and a prohibition against possessing incendiary devices.
The arson count carries a maximum possible sentence of six years in state prison.