[Updated: Thu., May 15, 2025, 4pm] Woodland Hills resident Simon Khalili, 40, was booked at the county’s Main Jail by State Parks for a felony charge of arson and several misdemeanors after he allegedly started a one-acre vegetation fire in El Capitan Canyon on Wednesday and fled from deputies while armed with a sword.
According to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick, sheriff’s deputies responded with State Parks to the area of El Capitan Canyon Resort for a report of a suspect exhibiting odd behavior. The suspect, later identified as Khalil, attempted to flee in his vehicle onto a dirt access road, where his vehicle became stuck, and then fled on foot into the canyon, Zick said.
A fire then broke out in the brush where Khalili fled within State Parks property, and deputies learned that Khalil was possibly armed with a sword.
“Deputies along with County Fire briefly retreated to give County Air Support room for two water drops,” Zick said. “Deputies developed a force protection plan where deputies shielded firefighters, allowing them to approach the fire on foot while the suspect remained an active threat. A Sheriff’s K9 unit arrived to assist while Air Support maintained observation overhead.”
At around 7:30 p.m. — shortly before the fire was declared contained — the suspect surrendered to deputies and was transferred to State Park’s custody before being booked in county jail. In addition to the felony arson charge, Khalil also faces misdemeanor charges of trespassing, brandishing a weapon, and negligent fire setting. He is being held on $75,000 bail.
[Original Story] A suspect was taken into custody Wednesday evening following a vegetation fire that burned approximately 1.1 acres in El Capitan Canyon along the Gaviota Coast. The fire, which began around 6:12 p.m., was in the hills above El Capitan Canyon Resort and was contained by 7:41 p.m., according to Santa Barbara County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck.
Access to the fire was limited due to dirt roads in the area, prompting an initial upgrade to the response that included water-dropping helicopters, bulldozers, and a hand crew.
“Our battalion chief arrived on scene, recognized that it was an active vegetation fire, and upgraded the response,” said Safechuck. “Any delay in extinguishing the fire was really due to limited access, but once our personnel got up there, they engaged right away.”
Firefighters executed a direct attack, laying hose along the perimeter and extinguishing the blaze on foot. No structures were threatened, and no evacuation orders were issued.
Safechuck confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody in connection with the incident, though the arrest and ongoing investigation are now under the jurisdiction of California State Parks.
“The Sheriff’s Office made the arrest, but State Parks is handling the custody portion,” he said, unable to provide additional details due to the active investigation.
According to Kate Wilson, chief planner for California State Parks Channel Coast, State Parks received a request for assistance around 5 p.m. on May 14 from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office regarding an individual at Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara, an RV resort just west of El Capitan Canyon Resort.
“When our officers arrived on scene, the guy tried to evade contact with them,” Wilson said. “While he was trying to get away, the fire started, so they arrested him.”
Wilson confirmed that while the individual was taken into custody by State Parks, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department remains in charge of investigating the source of ignition. “They’re trying to find the source of ignition, determine whether or not it was a complete accident or if he, in fact, was the source,” she added.
Wilson said that while no charges have been officially released, “there was kind of a cornucopia of things for them to choose from,” referring to potential violations under review by officers. She confirmed that State Parks initiated the arrest and will lead the referral of charges, while the origin of the fire remains under investigation by Santa Barbara County fire investigators.
The individual’s name and age have not been made public, though Wilson said the department intends to provide a redacted version of the report once it’s approved for release.
While the South Coast has not yet officially entered fire season, Safechuck noted that drying vegetation and warmer weather could quickly shift fire risk conditions.
“You still see a lot of green,” he said, “but that can change rapidly with a few days of warm weather and sundowner winds.”
