Arson suspect arrested as Holy Fire continues to spread

Smoke from the Holy Fire continues to spread as the fire moves closer to Lake Elsinore and evacuations increase. Photo courtesy of Cleveland National Forest Twitter page

A 51-year-old man who lives in a cabin in the rugged Holy Jim Canyon near Ortega Highway has been arrested on suspicion of setting a wildfire that had burned 6,200 acres by Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Forrest Gordon Clark faces two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest, according to Cleveland National Forest officials. He had sent an email saying "this place will burn" to a local fire chief and confronted police when found near his cabin, according to the Orange County Register.

Clark's cabin was the only one of 14 in the area that wasn't destroyed by fire.

According to Cleveland National Forest officials, evacuated areas now include the McVickers community, Rice Canyon, Horsethief Canyon, Glen Eden, El Cariso Village, Sycamore Creek, and Rancho Capistrano. The Ortega Highway corridor from Lookout Restaurant to Nichols Institute also is closed.