He could face life in state prison if found guilty. A cause for the Mendocino fire has not yet been disclosed.Īs the Holy Fire continues to grow, Clark remains in jail under a $1 million bond. Though not the deadliest or most destructive ever seen, it's covering the most ground, having already scorched more than 283,800 acres as of this week. In addition to the Holy Fire and Cranston Fire, California is also experiencing the largest fire in the state's history-the Mendocino Complex Fire. (AP) A 71-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of starting a forest fire that destroyed more than 100 homes last year near Yosemite National Park, California fire authorities said. Wildfires are sometimes caused by lightning strikes or other natural conditions, but the California Fire Department estimates that those factors account for only about 5 percent of the fires started in the state. While most commonly the culprit, people aren't always to blame for large fires. Forest Service, and National Park Service created an educational campaign in 2014 called “ One Less Spark.” The program outlines ways people can prevent wildfires by correctly burning trash, maintaining campgrounds, towing their cars safely, and properly using outdoor equipment. A woman from Palo Alto, Calif. By Richard Winton Staff Writer J1:53 PM PT Prosecutors charged a onetime firefighter Tuesday with aggravated arson and other felonies that carry a potential life sentence for. Recognizing the growing danger, the California Fire Department, U.S. Hot, windy, and dry conditions fueled by California's reoccurring droughts have created a tinder box that people can easily set ablaze. Campfires accounted for just five percent, the study found. Everything from items with small sparks like cigarette butts to more ostentatious flames like fireworks have started large fires.Ī study published in 2017 in the journal PNAS found that, at the national level, debris burning is responsible for 29 percent of wildfires and arson causes 21 percent of fires. It didn’t provide details of what led to the arrest. Illegal campfires can start blazes, like one that began in 2009 and grew to destroy more than 2,700 acres. Edward Fredrick Wackerman, of Mariposa, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated arson, arson that causes great bodily injury and arson causing damage or destruction of inhabited structures, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, said in a statement. Last year, one of the largest wildfires tearing through southern California was caused by a downed power line. His predictions have proven true year over year as fires have grown deadlier, larger, and more numerous. Geological Survey told National Geographic in 2014. “The probability of fires is increasing because people are increasing,” Jon Keeley from the U.S. Last month, a man from Temecula, California, was arrested for starting what eventually grew into the large Cranston Fire. Though not always intentional or criminal, humans are the most common cause of wildfires in the United States.Įarlier this week, a man named Forrest Clark was arrested in connection to the Holy Fire, the name given to a group of several different wildfires that have blazed through forests in southern California. Pictured: The Dixie Fire, which began in the Feather River Canyon and burned 963k acres in July of 2021.A large fire tearing through Holy Jim Canyon in California that has charred more than 6,200 acres so far has a familiar origin. In October, the state of California, especially in the Northern regions where most of the fires were located, received its first rain in over 200 days reducing the wildfire risk for much of the state. Reckless burning can be a misdemeanor or a felony, but carries jail time even if the charge is a misdemeanor. Malicious arson is the more serious of the two charges, and is always a felony. California penal code defines arson in two ways: malicious intent or reckless behavior. The state of California has two sections of the Penal Code that deal with arson Section 451 (Malicious Arson) and Section 452 (Reckless Burning). On August 18, 2021, the state of California was facing "unprecedented fire conditions" as multiple fires including the Dixie Fire, McFarland Fire, Caldor Fire, and others raged on. Cal Fire is already on pace to break the arson arrest record the department made in 2021. In July, more than three times as many acres had burned compared to the previous year through that date, with drought, extreme heat, and reduced snowpack contributing to the severity of the fires. SANTA CLARA COUNTY A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with more than a dozen arson fires since the. In January 2021 alone, 297 fires burned 1,171 acres on nonfederal land, which is almost triple the number of fires and more than 20 times the acreage of the five-year average for January. The 2021 wildfire season in California experienced an unusually early start amid an ongoing drought and historically low rainfall and reservoir levels.
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