Authorities were patrolling the area when they noticed a “fire truck that did not appear to be legitimate.”
Two people from Oregon were arrested on January 18 for allegedly posing as firefighters battling a wildfire that ravaged the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in California.
Authorities were patrolling the area when they noticed a “fire truck that did not appear to be legitimate,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The statement added that the two occupants of the vehicle “were wearing protective gear” and that when approached, they said they belonged to the Roaring River Fire Department in Oregon. However, officers later learned that no such agency existed and that the vehicle had been purchased at auction.
Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, admitted to being in the evacuation zone on January 17 and were arrested for that crime and for impersonating firefighters.
While neither suspect has a criminal record in California, the man has a criminal record in Oregon for mischief and arson.
On Monday, the Palisades Fire was 59% contained and authorities reduced the extent of the affected areas with an evacuation order.
The Eaton Fire, which mainly devastated the city of Altadena, north of Los Angeles, was 87% contained.
Firefighters continue to make progress in battling the flames, which have destroyed nearly 40,000 acres since January 7 and devastated several neighborhoods and suburbs of the city.
