Man Arrested for Starting California's Second-Largest Wildfire Says It Was an Accident

A man arrested on suspicion of starting the massive Gann Fire in Calaveras County, California, told authorities the wildfire began accidentally while he was collecting scrap metal to earn extra money for his wife. Herbert Wayne Smith said he was using a Sawzall when the fire started. “I was using the Sawzall and uh I then cut, got cutting the piece off and I turned around and all of a sudden I just, I noticed the fire was behind me and there was nothing I could, I mean, I chased it for for as long as I could. And uh, they were just getting away,” Smith said. The Gann Fire is now the second-largest wildfire in California. The blaze has burned more than 10,000 acres, and containment increased to 19%. The fire has destroyed at least seven structures, including homes. Fire victim CJ Poloka said the wildfire destroyed nearly everything he owned. “I lost my house. I lost all my belongings. What I'm wearing and a laptop and my camera is what I took out, and my animals. Just purchased this recently, paid cash; we did not have fire insurance. We had some family pitch in, and we are all cash on this. We had the house, all our belongings,” Poloka said. Another family who had been renting their home said the only thing that survived the fire was their truck. The Gann Fire continues to burn in Calaveras County as crews work to increase containment and assess damage. Cal Fire reported the fire started near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road near Valley Springs around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Authorities accused Smith of operating the tool without clearing flammable vegetation and failing to have firefighting tools on hand. A person was found dead inside a burned home as the fire continued to tear through western Calaveras County. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced it had found a deceased individual along the path of the Gann Fire.