A suspect was arrested on drug and weapons charges Monday after firefighters doused a blaze that erupted in her home in a rural neighborhood near Viejas Casino during a period of heightened weather-related wildfire danger.
The fire in the 3600 block of East Victoria Drive in Alpine was reported shortly before 7:30 a.m., sheriff’s Lt. Dave Perkins said.
After crews extinguished the flames, deputies said they found illegal narcotics and a firearm inside the damaged granny flat, Perkins said. They then arrested 36-year-old Sheryl Ruiz, who lives in the residence, the lieutenant said.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A National Weather Service red-flag wildfire warning went into effect over the weekend and will remain in force through early Wednesday evening. The alert denotes critical combustion hazards due to strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity levels and unseasonably warm daytime temperatures.
–City News Service