A Southern California poker dealer has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a wildfire burned through 131 acres of San Diego and forced residents to prepare for evacuation.
Brandon Glasgo, 30, was arrested on Monday, August 17, following the Sorrento Fire, which broke out the previous afternoon near the Peñasquitos Creek area.
Glasgo has reportedly worked as a poker dealer at Jamul Casino Resort, a tribal casino located east of San Diego.
Police have accused Glasgo of arson of forest land. However, authorities have not publicly detailed how they believe the fire started, and the allegation remains unproven unless and until established in court.
Sorrento Fire Spreads Across 131 Acres
The fire was reported at around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, in an area between Sorrento Valley Boulevard and Carmel Mountain Road.
Flames spread rapidly through dry vegetation, eventually covering approximately 131 acres and threatening nearby communities.
The location presented an additional challenge for firefighters. Much of the blaze was burning around hiking trails where conventional fire engines and ground crews had limited access.
Aircraft therefore played an important role in the response, with helicopters and fixed-wing planes attacking the fire from above while crews worked to stop it spreading towards populated areas.
Emergency warnings and evacuation orders were issued as the fire developed, although most were lifted later on Sunday as firefighters gained control of the situation.
Poker Dealer Faces Arson Charge
Glasgo was arrested the following morning and booked on suspicion of felony arson involving forest land.
The connection to poker comes through his employment at Jamul Casino Resort, where he has worked as a dealer.
Despite reports drawing attention to Glasgo being a cigarette smoker, authorities have not publicly confirmed that a cigarette started the fire. That distinction is important while the investigation and criminal proceedings remain ongoing.
Glasgo was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Under California law, deliberately setting fire to forest land can result in a substantial prison sentence following conviction. Additional consequences can also apply depending on the damage caused and circumstances surrounding a fire.
California Wildfires Have Previously Hit the Poker Community
The arrest comes less than two years after devastating Southern California wildfires directly affected several prominent people from the poker world.
Actor and longtime poker player James Woods was among those affected by the January 2025 Palisades Fire, while actress and poker regular Jennifer Tilly and her partner Phil Laak were also caught up in the disruption caused by the fires.
The Sorrento Fire was considerably smaller than the catastrophic fires that swept through parts of Los Angeles County in 2025.
However, the speed at which 131 acres burned illustrates why even relatively contained wildfires can quickly become serious emergencies in Southern California.
For Glasgo, the incident has now moved from the fire line to the courtroom, where prosecutors will have to establish what caused the blaze and whether the poker dealer was responsible.
