The suspect detained with the help of local residents could face up to life imprisonment if found guilty, NewsNation said, citing Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
"Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought," Hochman was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the capacity of Los Angeles' water supply system proved insufficient to contain the fires.
Firefighters complained of dry hydrants as they tried to fight the Eaton fire in Altadena, while water supplies to fight the Pacific Palisades fire ran out within 12 hours, officials were cited as saying by the newspaper.
Freddy Escobar, president of the Los Angeles firefighters union, said that there were not enough resources and personnel to deal with disasters of this scale, also noting that the local water supply system remains unprepared for the noticeably more frequent wildfires in the region, the newspaper reported.
At the same time, Marty Adams, who used to work as general manager and chief engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said that water storage systems across the country are not designed to fight major fires.