Bizarre: Henry Winkler Was Strangely Ahead of the LA Fire Department on Suspected Fire Causes

Actor Henry Winkler suggested that an arsonist might be responsible for the series of wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area since Tuesday.

As of Friday morning, Cal Fire reported that firefighters are battling five major blazes in the region.

The chaos began Tuesday morning with the outbreak of the Palisades Fire. Later that day, the Eaton and Hurst Fires ignited, followed by the Lidia Fire on Wednesday and the Kenneth Fire on Thursday.

On Wednesday night, Winkler took to X, writing, “THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA. May you be beaten you unrecognizable!!! The pain you have caused!!!”

Actress Alison Sweeney replied to his post with a simple, “agreed.”

According to CNN, the fires have claimed at least 10 lives and destroyed over 10,000 properties.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told reporters on Thursday, “The cause of the fire remains unknown, and it continues to be under active investigation,” as reported by Fox News.

However, later that evening, authorities arrested a man after citizens detained him near Calabasas, where a wildfire had recently erupted, KTLA-TV reported.

Eyewitness Renata Grinshpun told reporters she saw the suspect carrying what appeared to be a “propane tank or a flamethrower,” with others referring to it as a blowtorch. Another resident allegedly witnessed the man attempting to ignite an object.

“We really banded together as a group,” Grinshpun explained. “A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope, and we were able to do a citizens’ arrest.”

Sean Dinse from the LAPD’s Topanga Division told News Nation’s Brian Entin, “What we know right now is that the incident occurred, started here, and about 20 minutes, 30 minutes later, a suspect was detained over in Woodland Hills areas by citizens.”

When asked if someone had intentionally set the Kenneth Fire, Dinse responded, “At this time, that’s what we believe, yes,” adding that the area where the fire started is being treated as a crime scene.

Later updates revealed that the man detained by citizens was not charged with starting the wildfire. KTLA reported that LAPD Divisional Chief Dominic Choi stated, “After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson.”

The man was instead arrested on a felony probation violation, while the investigation into the fire's cause remains ongoing. Choi expressed gratitude to community members for their vigilance, saying, “I would like to thank those community members that were involved … in bringing this person to our attention.”

Winkler later responded to the developments on Thursday, writing on X, “One in custody so far.”

Meanwhile, celebrity podcaster and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman shared a video showing what appeared to be individuals igniting a fire in Santa Monica.

“People are lighting fires in otherwise non-burning areas of LA,” Huberman wrote. “We don’t need more flames out here. Some of those guys lit that fire … the tree has caught fire, and the palms are catching fire.”

Investigations into the wildfires' causes are ongoing.