Santa Clarita man charged with federal arson in Bouquet Fire

Rodney Ameile Saba, a 70-year-old man from Santa Clarita, has been charged with federal arson involving federal property following the Bouquet Fire. The wildfire, which erupted on October 3 near his residence on Bouquet Canyon Road, burned approximately 1,048 acres of the Angeles National Forest.

According to federal prosecutors, Saba allegedly started the fire by throwing a cigarette from his porch onto fireworks, causing an explosion. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise similar to a shotgun blast before flames spread up the hillside. Investigators from the U.S. Forest Service ruled out lightning and campfires, determining the blaze was “probably caused by fireworks.”

Authorities recovered a lighter, cigarettes, shotgun ammunition, and an aerial mortar firework from Saba’s cabin. Saba, who has multiple prior felony convictions, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.