Ed. Note: The following article is a news release provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Fast acting Los Angeles County firefighters extinguished a two-acre brush fire in a rural area of Acton early Wednesday morning, July 8, 2015.

Sheriff’s Arson Explosives Detail detectives responded to Soledad Canyon Road and Crown Valley Parkway, Acton, at approximately 4:15 a.m. Friday to assist L.A. County Fire personnel and Palmdale Station deputies with the two-acre brush fire investigation.

Arson detectives found that Palmdale deputies contacted a man at the location who fire personnel said was near the fire site while they were attempting to extinguish the fire.

Deputies arrested him for being in possession of a gun.

Arson investigators discovered that the suspect had being staying at an illegal encampment he built and his fire for cooking ignited the nearby brush.

Christopher Hayes, a 23-year-old resident of Quartz Hill, was arrested for unlawfully causing a fire and being an ex-felon with a gun. He was taken to Palmdale Station for booking and is being held without bail.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail (323) 881-7500.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.