Deputies arrested a man Sunday evening after a small brush fire broke out in the San Diego River bottom near Cuyamaca Street and Town Center Parkway in Santee, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

The fire was reported around 5:39 p.m. Sept. 13 and was about 10 feet by 10 feet when Santee Fire Department crews extinguished it, the Sheriff's Office said. No property damage was reported, and no evacuations were needed.

Sheriff's officials said the department helicopter ASTREA was in the area and located a man nearby after he was seen leaving the area where the fire started. Deputies detained Manuel Guzman, who the Sheriff's Office said had a large lighter and admitted lighting the fire.

The Sheriff's Office Bomb/Arson Unit responded to assist with the investigation. Guzman was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of arson and violating Santee's municipal code related to ignition sources in the San Diego River Corridor.

Source: San Diego County Sheriff's Office news release, Sept. 13, 2026.