PLACERVILLE, Calif. -- A Northern California wildfire is burning so explosively because of the prolonged drought that firefighters are dropping record-breaking amounts of fire retardant.
The man suspected of starting the blaze, meanwhile, pleaded innocent Friday to an arson charge. Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, was jailed in El Dorado County in lieu of $10 million bond after his arrest Wednesday.
By Friday, state firefighters and the U.S. Forest Service together had bombarded the conflagration with more than a half-million gallons of the red slurry, said Lynne Tolmachoff, a state fire spokesman.
But the fire activity is so extreme it's pushing through their lines.
"They can slow it down a little bit. But they're not able to hold it long enough to get ground units in there to extinguish it before it burns through and continues its path," Tolmachoff said.
The wind-whipped wildfire 60 miles east of Sacramento forced the evacuation of 2,800 people and had burned through nearly 120 square miles of timber and vegetation.
Fire officials said it had burned multiple structures in the White Meadow area of Pollock Pines. On Friday, it threatened a key University of California, Berkeley, research station that is home to scores of experiments on trees, plants and other wildlife.
The fire also was threatening hydroelectric facilities and power lines that deliver water and electricity to the Sacramento region and some treasured Sierra Nevada recreations areas, the Sacramento Bee reported. Some power stations and lines either burned or were shut down as a precaution, cutting off energy from three utility agencies' hydroelectric reservoirs.
Nearly 4,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, which also was threatening 12,000 homes.
Huntsman faces a forest arson charge, along with a special allegation of arson with aggravating factors because the blaze 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 to Huntsman's arrest this week in Placerville. He did not know whether Huntsman had an attorney.
Huntsman's sister, Tami Criswell, said she doubts her brother started the fire but if he did, it wasn't on purpose. Criswell said her brother, who has worked in construction and private security, loves being in the forest and always was cautious with campfires.
"He's a really good guy," Criswell said. "He would never do anything intentionally to hurt anybody."
Santa Cruz authorities have a $5,000 warrant out for Huntsman stemming from a February 2013 arrest for resisting or obstructing a public officer. Officials said he has missed several court dates.
His arrest record in Santa Cruz dates back to 1996, according to court records. That year he was convicted of tampering with a vehicle, auto theft, driving under the influence, grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon, which resulted in a three-year sentence. He was sent to San Quentin State Prison.
In 2003, he was convicted in Plumas County of receiving stolen property, according to the latest complaint.
The blaze, which started last Saturday, has been fueled by heavy timber and grass that is extremely dry because the state is in its third year of drought.
Residents at an evacuation center said they were worried about their homes.
Information for this article was contributed by Raquel Maria Dillion, Scott Smith, Judith Ausuebel and Jeff Barnard of The Associated Press.
A Section on 09/20/2014