San Bernardino, CA, September 28, 2016 – On Sunday, Sept. 25, at about 8:15 p.m., firefighters from San Bernardino County Fire and the US Forest Service responded to a reported vegetation fire in lower Waterman Canyon in San Bernardino. Upon their arrival, the fire had been extinguished by a resident. The resident stated a male subject had started the fire and gave fire authorities a description. A search of the area turned up negative for the subject described.
Later the next morning just after midnight, another vegetation fire was reported in the same vicinity. While firefighters fought to contain the fire, investigators were notified that two residents had caught the suspected arsonists and had him detained near the creek. A San Bernardino County Fire Investigator and a US Forest Service Investigator responded and took custody of the subject.
Investigators determined the subject, later identified as 20 year old Edwin Lizano, is suspected of deliberately setting both fires. Lizano was charged with two counts of arson, and booked at the West Valley Detention Center by San Bernardino Police Officers in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Residents quick actions may have saved their neighborhood from going up in flames and helped put an arsonist behind bars. SBCoFire thanks these residents for being vigilant, “seeing something, and saying something”.
