Fire in hills probed as possible arson

The fire that broke out around Grizzly Peak on Wednesday may have been arson, UC Berkeley police said, and authorities are investigating a confrontation among motorists that preceded the hillside blaze.

The fire, which burned 20 acres in the Oakland hills, began hours after Oakland police responded to an 8 a.m. confrontation among three motorists who were involved in a collision on Grizzly Peak Boulevard, near the Fish Ranch Road intersection. One of the motorists got out of his car, pulled a gun on another motorist, then fled the scene.

Three hours later, Oakland police received a report that the suspected gunman had returned to the area. Police arrived, but the suspect was gone. They later found his vehicle farther down on Grizzly Peak Boulevard and learned he had fled on foot onto UC Berkeley grounds. Campus police arrested him in the afternoon.

Oakland police said they have not determined whether the person is connected to the fire. Officer Marco Marquez, a spokesman for the department, said the suspect was being held on suspicion of brandishing a firearm and assault with a deadly weapon.

Firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Oakland Fire Department were expected to remain on the scene until Saturday, watching for possible flareups as investigators determine a cause and origin.

No structures were threatened. One firefighter suffered minor injuries after tumbling down the side of a hill.

More than 200 firefighters from Berkeley, Alameda County, and Cal Fire responded to the blaze, said Melinda Drayton, the deputy chief of the Oakland Fire Department. Four air tankers and four helicopters were also used to battle the fire.