Arson arrest made as Cranston Fire forces evacuations, burns 11,500 acres in Southern California

A fast-moving fire in Riverside County, California, has burned 11,500 acres and five structures since it began on Wednesday, July 25. The Cranston Fire moved toward the mountain community of Idyllwild, threatening hundreds of homes.

The fire has forced evacuations of more than 2,100 homes. As of early Thursday evening, it was 3 percent contained.

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Riverside and Shasta counties due to the Cranston Fire.

Heavy clouds of smoke have been covering the San Jacinto Mountains.

(United States Forest Service)

Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers arrested Brandon McGlover, 32, of Temecula for allegedly setting multiple fires, including the Cranston Fire, in southwest Riverside County on Wednesday, according to a San Bernardino National Forest incident update.

McGlover was transported to Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. He was booked with the charge of five counts of arson to wildland and additional charges may be added as the investigation continues.

Firefighters from the USFS San Bernardino National Forest, Riverside County Fire Department of Cal Fire, and several local public safety agencies responded to a series of wildland fires on Wednesday.

Dozens of other large blazes, including the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, are charring hundreds of thousands of acres across the Western states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The blazes in California and across parts of the West have been fueled by intense heat and extremely dry brush, shrubs and trees.

Dangerous heat will continue to sizzle the West this week, with only a slight decrease through the weekend, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist and western United States blogger Jordan Root.

The hot and largely dry weather will further enhance the risk of new blazes into the beginning of August.

Sunrise over Lake Elsinore Thursday, July 26, morning! Most of what you see in the sky blocking the sunlight are not clouds. It's smoke from the ongoing #cranstonfire in Idyllwild. (Instagram/fantomfoto)