A father and son have been arrested on suspicion of causing a large forest fire in northern California. The so-called Caldor fire started last summer and burnt more than 800 square kilometres to ashes.
According to the fire service, about 1,000 buildings went up in flames in the wildfire, and five people were injured. Hundreds of firefighters spent more than two months getting the blaze under control, and thousands of people had to evacuate the area. South Lake Tahoe, a popular tourist destination, was threatened by the conflagration.
The suspects, a 66-year-old man and his 32-year-old son, are suspected of “reckless arson” and are detained in El Dorado County. This is because a large part of the forest fire raged in that area. However, no official charges have yet been filed against them, US media report.
According to the lawyers for the men, the two are from the region and are not responsible for the forest fire. Instead, they are said to have spotted flames in the area that summer and then called 911. The police have also searched their homes and telephones, and lawyer Mark Reichel told The New York Times.