Arson arrest made in Sorrento fire that charred more than 130 acres in San Diego

Teri Figueroa, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Aug 17, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SAN DIEGO — A 30-year-old man who was spotted coming out of bushes near where the Sorrento fire ignited Sunday was arrested on suspicion of starting the 131-acre blaze, authorities said.

The man, Brandon Glasco, was being held in county jail on $75,000 bail on a felony charge of arson involving forest land, according to the San Diego County sheriff office’s online jail log.

Crews worked through the night to further draw a line around a brush fire that erupted Sunday afternoon in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and prompted evacuation warnings to nearby residents and businesses.

Firefighters stopped the forward march of the fire early Sunday evening. As of Monday morning, they had drawn a line around about 25% of the fire footprint. At one point, overnight crews called in a helicopter to help extinguish a hot spot in rugged terrain, San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley said.

San Diego police officers doing traffic control on Vista Sorrento Parkway were flagged down by a resident who reported seeing a man come out of the brush “around the time the smoke began to appear,” said police Officer Colin Steinbroner.

Glasgo was detained and interviewed by detectives with the Metro Arson Strike Team. He was subsequently arrested, Steinbroner said.

Smoke may be visible as crews continue work through the day to put out hot spots. More than 125 fire personnel, including Fire-Rescue engine companies and brush rigs as well as Cal Fire hand crews and bulldozers, remain at the site.

The popular preserve remains under an evacuation order. Fire-Rescue will post updates throughout the day on its X account.

The fire began near the same spot where a brush fire in June burned about 90 acres. Deputy Chief Dan Eddy said the remote location required firefighters to hike about 20 minutes before they could even start fighting the fire. The firefight grew to include six helicopters and three air tankers.

Hadley said investigators do not believe Sunday’s fire was related to the June fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.

_____