A Santa Clarita man has been charged with arson involving federal property after allegedly starting a wildfire in the Angeles National Forest that scorched more than 1,000 acres and prompted evacuation orders last weekend, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
Rodney Ameile Saba, 70, is accused of igniting the Bouquet Fire behind his home on Bouquet Canyon Road, northeast of Santa Clarita at about 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 3, according to the federal criminal complaint. He was arrested later that day.
Federal prosecutors say Saba warned a neighbor about a shotgun-blast-like sound before witnesses reported hearing an explosion and Saba yelling for help. Witnesses then saw a fire rapidly spreading up the hillside.
Saba told law enforcement he was on his porch when he threw a cigarette onto fireworks, leading to the explosion and fire, the complaint alleges. A lighter, cigarettes, shotgun ammunition and an aerial mortar firework were later recovered from his cabin, the DOJ said.
The firefight comes as an extended heat wave grips Los Angeles County and most parts of Southern California. Amber Frias reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
Fire investigators determined fireworks likely caused the Bouquet Fire, federal prosecutors said.
The blaze burned approximately 1,048 acres and triggered evacuation orders and warnings as a heat wave gripped Los Angeles County and most parts of Southern California.
The U.S. Forest Service, alongside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Arson Explosives Detail, is handling the investigation.
Saba, who the DOJ says has multiple prior felony convictions, is set to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in downtown LA. If he’s convicted, Saba faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.