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Evidently it wasn't lightning - Arson Suspect in Wine Country Wildfires is Arrested
[LI] In the course of the past week, the Wine Country Wildfires have incinerated more than 200,000 acres, obliterated or damaged more than 5,500 homes, and displaced over 100,000 people. The current death tool stands at 41, including a private contractor who was bringing water to fight the blazes when his vehicle rolled over."He was helping to fight the fires and do the right thing," said CHP Capt. Mike Palacio. "Unfortunately, at this point, we don’t know what happened." Sonoma County officials report that a suspect has been arrested for arson in connection to the area’s blazes. The arson suspect is Jesus Fabian Gonzales, 29, Sgt. Spencer Crum, a spokesman for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office told CNBC. Crum described him as "a transient out of Sonoma" and said the suspect was "arrested for setting a small fire in a park in Sonoma on Sunday." Speaking at the Tuesday afternoon press conference, Giordano said the arson suspect was seen "walking away from a small fire" and stopped by deputies. Also, the suspect allegedly had "a fire extinguisher and a lighter with him," said the sheriff. Giordano said the suspect was asked whether he started the fire and responded that "he started the fire to warm himself up ‐ something to that effect." This is at least good news for California’s largest electric utility company, which has seen its stock plummet over concerns it could be found liable for the fires that have ravaged Northern California. Posted by: Besoeker 2017-10-19 |
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