At least one dead in California wildfire allegedly started by man's chainsaw
A wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California has killed at least one person and destroyed seven buildings, with police arresting a man accused of sparking the blaze while using a chainsaw.
A wildfire dubbed the Gann fire is burning through the Sierra Nevada foothills in Calaveras county, California, having destroyed at least seven buildings and scorched more than 15 square miles. At least one person has died in the town of Angels Camp.
Police have arrested 65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith in connection with the blaze, which started on Monday. Speaking to local station KCRA, Smith said he never intended to start the fire — Monday was his birthday, and he had been using machinery to cut scrap metal to earn money for a celebratory meal with his wife. "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened," he said, adding that the incident would ruin his life in some way.
The California department of forestry and fire protection alleges Smith recklessly caused the fire by operating spark-producing equipment without first clearing flammable vegetation from the area. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to file criminal charges. Smith was previously charged in 2018 over another fire he allegedly set on land that was not his own, a case in which he pleaded no contest and received three years of probation.
As of Friday morning, the Gann fire had burned more than 10,000 acres and was roughly 40% contained. Investigators are still determining whether the fire contributed to the death of a person found in a burned home. Friends have identified the victim as Susan Solari; a neighbor told CBS Sacramento the woman had refused to leave without her dogs.
Fires also raging in Washington state
The Gann fire is part of a difficult wildfire season across the American west. In north-eastern Washington, three major fires continue to burn near Spokane, having destroyed at least 800 buildings. A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with one of those fires, with court documents accusing him of trying to maximize its destructive impact. No deaths have been reported in Washington, and officials said Thursday that cooler temperatures and calmer winds have helped firefighters make progress.
