A father and son have been arrested for reckless arson in connection with the devastating Northern California Caldor Fire.
El Dorado County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that David Smith, 66, and Travis Smith, 32, had been arrested on suspicion of sparking the blaze.
The duo is accused of violating section 452 of the California Penal Code, commonly referred to as "reckless arson," which caused inhabited properties to burn and resulted in great bodily injury to multiple victims, officials stated.
The fire started on the evening of Aug. 14 and was active for 67 days. It burned 221,835 acres across El Dorado, Amador and Alpine counties, including nearly the entire community of Grizzly Flats. According to CAL FIRE, 1,003 structures were destroyed, 81 structures were damaged and 5 people were injured.
Information on how the fire was sparked has not yet been released.
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