1 held on arson charge in California wildfire

CAMINO, Calif. -- A man was charged with deliberately starting a Northern California wildfire that has shown explosive growth and driven nearly 2,800 people from their homes, authorities said Thursday.

Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, was arrested late Wednesday in Placerville and booked into the El Dorado County jail, where he was being held in lieu of $10 million bond.

Huntsman is charged with one count of arson of forestland, accused of willfully setting a fire, according to a criminal complaint.

He also faces a special allegation of arson with aggravating factors because the blaze east of Sacramento put a dozen firefighters in serious danger, forcing them to deploy their fire shields. They all escaped unharmed.

District Attorney Vern Pierson declined to say what led investigators to Huntsman, who is to be arraigned today. He also would not comment on a possible motive in the case, saying the investigation was ongoing.

"It's something that's evolving at this point," Pierson said of the probe.

Huntsman's sister, Tami Criswell of Salinas, said Thursday that she doubted he was responsible, because her brother loves the forest and always has been very cautious with campfires.

The blaze, which started Saturday, has been fueled by heavy timber and grass that are extremely dry because of California's drought.

By Thursday morning, the fire had burned through 111 square miles as winds surged to 25 mph. It also more than doubled its size overnight, from 27,930 acres to nearly 71,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press.

A Section on 09/19/2014

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