Suspected arsonist pleads not guilty, faces 15 felony counts

Flames rage in open forest land behind firetrucks stationed to fight the Cranston Fire in the mountains above Idyllwild. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

Story updated July 31, 10:30 a.m.:

A Temecula man accused of starting the Cranston Fire above Idyllwild was charged Friday with intentionally setting nine fires in Southwest Riverside County.

Brandon N. McGlover, 32, was charged with 15 felony counts related to nine separate fires, according to a news release from the District Attorney's Office. His charges include one count of aggravated arson, five counts of arson of an inhabited structure and nine counts of arson of forest or wildland.

McGlover pleaded not guilty to all counts in his arraignment in Murrieta. Bail was set at $3.5 million and his next court date was scheduled for Sept. 24. He could receive life in prison if convicted.

The Cranston Fire, which began on July 25, has covered more than 13,000 acres and is 82 percent contained in the latest Cal Fire report. Many of the evacuation orders have been lifted.

After flying over the burn areas by helicopter Friday, Senator Jeff Stone released the following statement:

"After reviewing the damage and the devastation in the communities affected by the Cranston Fire, I came to the conclusion that while this fire seems to have been set by a deranged arsonist, we need to do a much better job at the state level of ensuring that electrical utilities are held responsible for doing a better job of clearing and reducing vegetation in and around their electrical wires. It is only by the grace of God that this fire or other wind events have not caused lines to fall and sparks to ignite even more fires in more densely populated areas.

"Further, I cannot say enough about how fortunate California is to have thousands of dedicated and capable people working for such agencies as Cal Fire, Idyllwild Fire, the U.S. Forest Service and numerous municipal fire departments in and around the state of California. These firefighters are putting their lives on the line to save lives and property, and they have answered their call to service under the most difficult of circumstances."