Updated

Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 5

Herbert Wayne Smith Arrested Over 10,374-Acre Gann Fire as Blaze Kills 1, Destroys 7 Structures

Updated

Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 5

Herbert Wayne Smith Arrested Over 10,374-Acre Gann Fire as Blaze Kills 1, Destroys 7 Structures

Q: What dangerous secondary disasters are unfolding on the frontlines as 1,600 firefighters battle the relentless Gann Fire?

Two dangerous secondary crises are unfolding alongside the fire itself: firefighter accidents on the line and worsening smoke impacts across nearby communities. On the frontlines, Cal Fire reported a bulldozer rollover during suppression work on the Gann Fire. The operator was able to self-extricate and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries before being released. Separately, a pickup truck crashed into a fire engine that was blocking a road, causing major damage. Those incidents underscore how steep terrain, active road closures and heavy equipment operations are creating serious hazards even beyond the flames. At the same time, smoke has become a parallel emergency. Thick wildfire smoke forced the Calaveras County Unified School District to cancel classes, and officials have warned of poor air quality spreading beyond the burn area into neighboring communities. Residents remain under evacuation orders and warnings, with shelters open for people, pets and livestock. These secondary dangers are developing as more than 1,600 personnel fight a fire that has burned over 10,000 acres, destroyed at least two homes, threatened hundreds more, and required controlled burns and night helicopter operations to slow its advance.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 5

Cal Fire says 65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith was arrested Monday after investigators concluded he recklessly caused the Gann fire, which had expanded to 10,374 acres and was 26% contained by Thursday.
A chainsaw-like tool Smith was using allegedly violated fire-prevention rules and could throw sparks; investigators said he failed to clear vegetation, keep firefighting tools nearby and stop the fire from escaping the property.
Seven structures have burned and a body was recovered from one of them after Smith was booked, leaving charges subject to possible update as the case goes to the Calaveras County district attorney.
Smith told KCRA he was "so sorry" and said the fire was unintentional, adding he had been cutting scraps on his birthday to earn money for a dinner with his wife.
About 2,715 personnel from more than 20 agencies are fighting the blaze east of Stockton amid evacuations, and court records show Smith previously pleaded no contest in 2019 to burning another person's land.