Man Taken Into Custody In Connection With Tuna Fire

MALIBU, CA — Late Friday morning, the fire department reported that a man was takeninto custody by the sheriff's department "in conjunction with this early morning, non-injury brush fire.'' It was unclear what the man was going to be booked for.

The fire, dubbed the Tuna Fire, that scorched one to two acres in heavy brush along a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The Tuna Fire broke out in the 18900 block of PCH, near Tuna Canyon Road, and was reported shortly after 5 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The fire prompted the closure of all lanes PCH from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Las Flores Canyon Road, according to Caltrans. Shortly before 8 a.m., southbound PCH was reopened, and northbound lanes reopened at around 8:45 a.m.

The flames were battled from the ground and the air, and after about an hour the fire department reported that the fire's forward progress was stopped. Aerial video from Sky5 showed some homes nearby, but the fire appeared to be burning uphill, away from the structures.

Fire crews were expected to remain on scene for several hours mopping up. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

— City News Service and Patch staffer Michael Wittner contributed to this report.