October 10, 2026 – LOS ANGELES, CA – A Santa Clarita man was charged on Friday in a federal criminal complaint 
alleging he intentionally set a wildfire in the Angeles National Forest that burned more than 1,000 acres of federally owned land, the Justice Department announced.
Rodney Ameile Saba, 70, of Santa Clarita, was charged with arson involving federal property. He is expected to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the complaint, on October 3, 2026, at approximately 2:13 p.m., Saba allegedly ignited what became known as the “Bouquet Fire” behind his residence on Bouquet Canyon Road. Moments before the fire started, Saba allegedly warned a neighbor to expect a loud sound like a shotgun blast. Witnesses then heard a powerful explosion followed by Saba yelling for help and a fire rapidly spreading up the hillside.
The complaint alleges that Saba admitted to law enforcement that he threw a cigarette from his porch onto fireworks, causing them to explode and start the fire. Investigators later recovered a lighter, cigarettes, shotgun ammunition, and an aerial mortar firework from Saba’s cabin.
Fire investigators with the U.S. Forest Service determined that the Bouquet Fire, which ultimately burned approximately 1,048 acres of federal land, was “probably caused by fireworks” after excluding lightning, campfires, debris burning, and other potential causes.
The complaint further alleges that Saba has multiple prior felony convictions, including mayhem, vandalism, possession of a controlled substance, criminal threats, manufacture or possession of a dangerous weapon, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Saba was arrested on October 3, 2026, by local law enforcement on related state charges. Today’s federal complaint formally charges him in federal court.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Saba would face a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.
The United States Forest Service is investigating this matter, with assistance from Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department – Arson Explosives Detail.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Sloan Kelly of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section and Brenda N. Galván of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting the case.
Source: DOJ Release
