A Northern California man has been arrested for starting the Klamathon Fire on July 5th when an unpermitted debris fire got out of hand in Siskiyou County and turned into a 38,008-acre blaze that killed one person, injured three others and destroyed 35 homes.
California’s fire agency said Thursday that it arrested 32-year-old John Colin Eagle Skoda. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Suzi Brady said Skoda quickly lost control of the debris fire he started in Siskiyou County.
The July 5 wildfire also forced thousands of residents to evacuate and temporarily shut down Interstate 5.
Skoda, of San Francisco, was booked on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and fire-related charges. Jail records don’t indicate if he is represented by an attorney.
Klamathon Fire was 100 percent contained as of July 23.
