KCFD submitted photo
In a press release from Captain Andrew Freeborn of the Kern County Fire Department’s Arson Division, Freeborn announced to the Kern Valley Sun, Thursday August 29, the arrest of a suspected arsonist at the recent Way Incident-Vegetation Fire.
The incident occurred south of the Kernville Airport where crews arrived discovering multiple roadside fires, which according to Supervisor Phillip Peters numbered 14 total, though the press has yet to confirm the actual number with fire officials. Peters announced Thursday, at a public meeting at Paradise Cove Lodge, that the alleged arsonist was caught, who unexpectedly started a string of fires in the Kern Valley.
Supervisor Peters said, “There was an arsonist that started these fires. And Kern County Sheriff’s office was chasing him, perusing him, with a helicopter. They turned the pursuit over to CHP and the suspect ended up getting in a wreck, on Orlando Road and Tobias, in Kernville. And they have him in custody.”
Freeborn’s press release from the Arson Investigation Department of the KCFD said that the California Highway Patrol officers and Kern County Sheriffs Office deputies tracked down the suspect named Jamal Lokepa Buyuan from Pahala, Hawaii. The suspect was arrested on eight counts of arson on Forest land. Freeborn said there might be additional charges pending from other involved agencies.
More units from US Forest Service arrived according to Freeborn’s report, which he put out to the press the same evening, though the KCFD units arrived about 10:45am that day.
Witnesses, to further ignitions down the road, revealed details leading to law enforcement broadcasts across fire command radio channels.
The significant progress with controlling the fires was through efforts of KCFD and USFS working tirelessly, up steep hillsides, constructing control lines using hand tools and extending hose lines. Aerial support from CAL FIRE, USFS, and KCFD aircraft precisely targeted water and retardant drops, which aided ground operations.
Freeborn’s report noted that the swift, coordinated response efforts from Bureau of Land Management, USFS, and KCFD, halted the progress of the fires at less than 90 acres.
