CAL FIRE investigators announced Saturday, March 1 the arrest of a man suspected of starting the Pala and Lilac wildfires on Jan. 21.Ruben M. Vasquez, 48, was taken into custody on Friday and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on two felony counts of arson, including arson of forestland under California Penal Code 451C. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office website confirms that Vasquez is being held on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled for arraignment on March 4 at 8 a.m.The fires ignited within 25 minutes of each other near Interstate 15 and State Route 76, affecting the Pala Mesa and Bonsall areas. CAL FIRE officials stated that the fires collectively burned nearly 100 acres, prompting evacuations for hundreds of residents.“Witness reports and investigative efforts le
