Father, son arrested in wildfire that threatened Lake Tahoe

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A begetter and lad were arrested Wednesday connected suspicion of starting a monolithic California wildfire that destroyed galore homes and forced tens of thousands of radical to fly Lake Tahoe communities earlier this year, authorities said.

David Scott Smith, 66, and his son, Travis Shane Smith, 32, are accused of reckless arson successful a warrant issued earlier ceremonial charges are filed, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s bureau said.

Mark Reichel, the lawyer for some men, said they were arrested Wednesday day and that reckless arson means starting a blaze by mishap but “to specified a grade that it was considered reckless.”

Authorities allege they caused homes to pain and radical to beryllium earnestly injured successful the occurrence that began successful August. The Caldor occurrence scorched much than 346 quadrate miles (897 quadrate kilometers) from eastbound of Sacramento to the Nevada border, threatening skis resorts and different salient recreational areas.

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The occurrence destroyed much than 1,000 homes and different buildings portion crossing a mostly distant forested country of seasonal cabins.

The occurrence crossed done 3 bluish counties, destroyed overmuch of the tiny assemblage of Grizzly Flats and forced tens of thousands of radical to evacuate the edifice municipality of South Lake Tahoe earlier it was contained successful October. Five radical were injured.

It was 1 of 2 monolithic fires past summertime that for the archetypal clip successful modern past crossed the Sierra Nevada range.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson provided fewer details astir the apprehension of the Smiths, citing the investigation.

Reichel, the men's lawyer, said: “They are perfectly 100% innocent.”

Reichel said helium did not cognize details of the accusation, specified arsenic however authorities allege the occurrence was set.

He said Travis Smith is an electrician and was with his begetter adjacent wherever the occurrence started. The lad called 911 to study seeing flames, Reichel said.

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The lad made respective 911 calls due to the fact that the calls kept dropping successful the rugged area, and some men besides warned campers astir the fire, Reichel said.

“Neither 1 has ever been successful occupation with the instrumentality successful their life. They’re precise law-abiding people,” helium said.

The brace person a scheduled tribunal quality connected Friday, Reichel said.

“There has been nary grounds submitted into a tribunal taxable to my cross-examination ... that proves immoderate of the prosecution’s grounds yet. So I impulse everyone to hold and perceive what truly happened earlier they signifier immoderate opinions,” Reichel added.

The territory attorney’s bureau said the lawsuit was developed with the U.S. Forest Service, California’s firefighting bureau and the California Department of Justice, with assistance from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s transgression lab.

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Associated Press Writer Robert Jablon contributed from Los Angeles.

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