A man arrested for allegedly starting the massive Gann Fire in Calaveras County said he was only trying to make money to take his wife out for a birthday dinner when he accidentally sparked the blaze.
Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, of Spring Valleys, said he was using a saw to cut metal scraps so that he could sell them to pay for his birthday celebration on Monday, when the fire that burned more than 10,000 acres ignited.
“This is going to destroy my life, one way or another,” Smith said in an interview with KCRA, expressing remorse about his actions.
“I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened. That was never my intent. I was just out there trying to get some money together, and it turned into this.”
Authorities accused Smith of operating the tool without clearing flammable vegetation and failing to have firefighting tools on hand.
“The investigation revealed Smith was operating equipment capable of producing sparks in vegetation without complying with the fire prevention requirements of California Public Resources Code,” Cal Fire said in a statement following Smith’s arrest.
As of Wednesday afternoon, criminal charges against Smith had not yet been filed in Calaveras Superior Court. Cal Fire submitted its investigation to the Calaveras District Attorney’s Office for review and potential prosecution.
The fire led to both evacuation orders and warnings in the area, with homes and property threatened by the growing blaze. The aggressive fire surged over days as triple-digit temperatures and critically dry fuels hampered firefighting efforts across the parched landscape.
While grueling conditions persist, Cal Fire reported a steady rise in containment, though officials warn that crews remain on high alert with the heatwave slated to last through the weekend.
