A man was arrested in a Los Angeles neighborhood Thursday on suspicion of arson, but police said there was not enough probable cause to charge him with it.

The suspect, unnamed by police, was detained in the Woodland Hills neighborhood at around 4:32 p.m. local time Thursday after another man accused him of trying to start a fire, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

“We were sitting in the backyard, and suddenly, we hear a car come to a screeching halt, and the guy is running out saying, ‘Stop! Drop what you’re holding! Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Call 911!,’” witness Renata Grinshpun told KTLQ-TV in Los Angeles.

Others told the city’s KTTV-TV that the suspect, who was restrained by neighborhood residents, was carrying a blowtorch and riding a bicycle. They accused him of trying to light old Christmas trees and garbage cans on fire.

Video obtained by the TV station appears to show the accused man holding a blowtorch and being restrained by Woodland Hills residents.

Later Thursday, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Charles Dinsel told NewsNation that the suspect detained by citizens was being linked to the Kenneth fire and that the fire was being investigated as arson.

On Friday, LAPD said that there was not enough probable cause or evidence to charge the suspect with arson, though he was charged with a probation violation.

The arson investigation related to the Kenneth fire is ongoing, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said at a press conference Friday.

The fire has swept across ​more than 1,000 acres and resulted in at least 10 deaths across Los Angeles County.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.