A woman has been arrested for allegedly starting the 2018 Delta Fire in Shasta County.
The Delta Fire scorched more than 63,000 acres, destroyed 20 homes and injured two people.
CAL FIRE and Shasta County authorities have announced that Cynthia Ann LeRoux was arrested Wednesday at her home in Mountain Gate, north of Redding.
LeRoux, 57, was booked into the Shasta County Jail on 18 felony counts related to the Delta Fire and two additional felony charges for fires in December 2018 and March 2020.
The charges include two counts of arson of forest land causing great bodily injury and 16 counts for destroying homes, and carry a possible sentence of more than 50 years.
The Delta Fire broke out when the area was already under a state of emergency and fire crews were stretched thin, striking just days after firefighters were able to contain the devastating Carr Fire, which destroyed over 1,000 homes and forced 38,000 people to evacuate in and around Redding.
Officials said the Delta Fire will cost at least $59 million in restoration efforts.
"The fires of 2018 destroyed our communities and changed lives forever. Countless people lost everything they owned," said Stephanie Bridgett, the Shasta County district attorney.
"With the drought that California is in and the fire season that is upon us, this announcement is a timely reminder of the consequences of setting fires, and it is a timely reminder for those who want to harm our community by setting fires to think twice."
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