Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
a firefighter pours water on flames approaching a containment line, while fighting the King fire near Fresh Pond, Calif., Thursday. Authorities arrested Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, Wednesday and have charged him with deliberately starting the northern California wildfire that has burned more than 70,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained.
CAMINO, Calif. (AP) - The sister of a man arrested in a fast-growing Northern California wildfire says she strongly doubts he's responsible for starting the blaze, which has driven 2,800 people from their homes.
Tami Criswell of Salinas said Thursday that her brother, Wayne Allen Huntsman, loves the forest and always has been very cautious with campfires.
Authorities in El Dorado County charged Huntsman with one count of arson of forest land for willfully and maliciously setting a fire. Bail is set $10 million.
The blaze east of Sacramento started Saturday and has burned through 111 square miles.
Criswell says her brother works odd jobs in construction and security. She says that if he was involved in the fire, it wasn't intentional.
Prosecutors aren't saying what led them to Huntsman or how they believe the fire started.
