Bushfires are being investigated

By Perry Smith and Tyler Wainfeld

Signal Editors

Officials with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station confirmed they are investigating at least two reports of fires that broke out near each other in Valencia, although the Sheriff’s Department and Fire Department had not officially reported the incident as of about 3:30 p.m.

Officials at the station confirmed they had received calls claiming the fires were deliberately set, but the incidents are part of an ongoing investigation and no suspect has been arrested yet.

At the time of publication of this article, neither fire nor sheriff officials would comment on whether the incidents are suspected to be related to or associated with arson.

Fire department representatives confirmed that the individual incidents began half an hour apart and within a relatively small radius.

The first incident was a brush fire that broke out near College of the Canyons around 2:07 p.m., and another was reported about a mile north of campus, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

According to Luis Garcia, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, firefighters arrived at the intersection of Rockwell Canyon Road and Valencia Boulevard at 2:15 p.m. The fire is believed to be one-eighth of an acre in size. According to Garcia, the dispatcher said the incident occurred “behind the stadium” on campus.

Further advance was halted at 2:22 p.m., but firefighters were still on scene at 2:55 p.m., according to Kaitlyn Aldana, a fire department spokeswoman.

The second fire, near the intersection of Tourney Road and Magic Mountain Parkway, was reported to be a quarter-acre in size and covered in light fuel, according to Garcia, adding that a unit was dispatched around 2:45 p.m. and was on scene by 2:51 p.m.

According to Garcia, no injuries were reported in the incidents and no buildings were threatened.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.ilable.