LOS ANGELES, US - A 28-year-old man was charged Tuesday with starting the fire that killed six people and burned down 1,000 homes in 2003 northwest of Los Angeles, an attorney in the case told local media.

A San Bernardino County grand jury indicted Rickie Fowler on five counts of murder in connection with a 2003 wildfire that resulted in the deaths of six people in the path of the blaze, The Los Angeles Times reported.

If convicted Fowler could face the death penalty, prosecutors said.

Fowler has been jailed since 2003 on robbery charges, district attorney Michael Ramos said.

Several witnesses told authorities ahead of the blaze that they saw a man they believed was tossing lit matches out of his truck in the area.