The Ventura County Fire Department battled a two-alarm blaze in Simi Valley Friday afternoon, and investigators believe the fire could have been started intentionally.
Initial reports indicate that a man doused a home in the 2100 block of Marter Avenue with lighter fluid and lit it ablaze, the Simi Valley Acorn reported.
The man was found in a neighbor’s yard with stab wounds, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the Acorn added.
The Fire Department confirmed on Twitter that the man was taken to a “local trauma center” for treatment, and no firefighter injuries were reported.
“The subject had lacerations on his right arm and was bleeding pretty heavily,” said Commander Steve Shorts of the Simi Valley Police Department.
Capt. Robert Welsbie of the VCFD called the fire’s cause “suspicious in nature” in a video posted to Twitter.
Police were “providing force protection” for the firefighters, the Fire Department added.
Welsbie said the protection was to ensure “all extinguishment operations were conducted in a safe manner.”