One of the alleged arsonists who made national headlines this year was Gary Maynard, a former college professor linked to an “arson-setting spree” near the site of the Dixie fire, the second-largest wildfire in California’s recorded history. In 2021, when Cal Fire responded to more than 8,600 fires, that could mean as many as 800 blazes. Electrical equipment accounted for about 12% and lightning 6%.īut arson was also a factor, sparking about 9% of fires in 2019, and roughly 8% to 10% of the state’s wildfires in any given year. Identifying the source of a wildfire is one of the more technical jobs in law enforcement, and in 2019 - the most recent year for which he had data - the causes of the majority of California’s wildfires were undetermined. In California, lawmakers distinguish between two types of arson: willful, malicious arson and reckless arson, such as when a person sets off fireworks in dry brush, Muschetto said. “Once they put that fire on the ground, they have no control over how it will grow,” said Gianni Muschetto, chief of Cal Fire’s law enforcement division. What has changed, they say, is that bone-dry drought conditions and overgrown forests have enabled even the smallest of sparks to explode into an inferno. Yet experts say the attention-grabbing headlines and uptick in arrests belie an enduring truth: Arson represents only a fraction of California’s fire starts each year. To some, the apparent surge in arson incidents has been a troubling new development in California’s ever-worsening wildfire regime, and it has even given rise to a raft of conspiracy theories. Wildfire arson arrests have been climbing over the last few years: In 2021, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported 140 arrests by its law enforcement division - 20 more than last year and double the number of 2019. While fires ignited by downed power lines and lightning have caused widespread destruction in recent years, this last wildfire season was unusual for the number of large fires that were linked to arson. And, just this month, a father and son.Ī confounding collection of Californians have been accused of contributing to one of the worst wildfire seasons in state history - a season that saw three killed, thousands of homes leveled and more than 2.5 million acres burned. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)Ī college professor. Gary Stephen Maynard, a former college professor, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he started four wildfires in Northern California earlier this year that threatened to trap firefighters as they battled the massive fire nearby. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories.Flames leap from trees as the Dixie Fire jumps Highway 89 north of Greenville in Plumas County on Aug. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. conservation effort: Advocates worry about who could be left out At the time, he faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
CALIFORNIA FIRE ARSON SERIAL
Smith pleaded guilty on to charges of being a serial arsonist, according to the U.S. Law enforcement arrested Smith late in July 2020, "following an extensive investigation" during which "agents installed a tracking device on his vehicle to monitor his movements" for days, Talbert said. "One of the fires set by Smith in July 2020 burned so close to Interstate 5 near Turntable Bay Road that first responders closed a portion of the highway to prevent the blaze from burning numerous vehicles and residences on the other side of the interstate." "Many of the fires Smith admitted to setting began in the early morning hours of the day, making detection and firefighting by authorities potentially more challenging," Talbert said. Smith also admitted he abandoned at least 11 campfires on national forest land during the same period, Talbert reported. Live updates: Police seek motive for Michigan State University shooting 3 dead He used "virtually undetectable ignition sources" including cigarette lighters and handheld torches to start wildfires in remote areas, Talbert said in press release issued Monday afternoon. Smith set at least 11 fires on national forest land between June 2019 and July 2020, according to court documents, Talbert said. He was also ordered to pay $19,071 in restitution to the U.S.
Attorney Phillip Talbert.Įric Michael Smith, 41, of Redding, California, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for serial arson, Talbert said. REDDING, Calif. – A northern California man was sentenced on Monday for setting 11 fires in the state's Shasta-Trinity National Forest in one year, according to U.S.
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