Man who started 1000-acre Bouquet Fire slapped with federal arson charges as investigation unfolds

A California man accused of igniting a wildfire that torched more than 1,000 acres of federal land is staring down a potential 20-year prison sentence after federal prosecutors charged him with arson in connection with the destructive Bouquet Fire.

Rodney Ameile Saba, 70, of Santa Clarita, allegedly set off the Oct. 3 inferno behind his home on Bouquet Canyon Road, triggering an explosion and sending flames racing up a hillside in the Angeles National Forest, according to a federal criminal complaint.

The explosive start to the blaze was preceded by an ominous warning, investigators allege: Saba told a neighbor to expect a loud bang resembling a shotgun blast just moments before witnesses heard a powerful explosion and the 70-year-old began yelling for help.

The complaint alleges Saba later admitted to law enforcement that he tossed a cigarette from his porch onto fireworks, causing them to explode and ignite the fire.

The resulting blaze burned approximately 1,048 acres of federally owned land — a sprawling stretch of public property caught in the path of a fire that investigators believe was sparked by fireworks.

US Forest Service fire investigators determined the Bouquet Fire was “probably caused by fireworks” after excluding lightning, campfires, debris burning and other potential causes, according to the complaint.

Investigators also recovered a lighter, cigarettes, shotgun ammunition and an aerial mortar firework from Saba’s cabin, the complaint states.

The federal arson charge marks a new phase in the case after local law enforcement arrested Saba on related state charges on the day the fire broke out. He is expected to appear in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

The complaint also lays out a lengthy list of prior felony convictions attributed to Saba, including mayhem, vandalism, possession of a controlled substance, criminal threats, manufacture or possession of a dangerous weapon, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

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