A man has been charged with setting one of nearly a dozen wildfires that have destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and burned nearly 11,000 hectares of brush land near San Diego, California.
A 57-year-old man, Alberto Serrato, pleaded not guilty Friday to an arson charge in connection with a 42.5-hectare blaze in suburban Oceanside that is now fully contained after starting Wednesday. Tanya Sierra, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County district attorney's office, tells the Associated Press witnesses saw Serrato adding dead brush onto smoldering bushes, which flared. Sierra said Serrato has not been connected to any other fire.
Serrato faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Two teenagers also were arrested Thursday after police said the suspects started at least two brush fires in San Diego's Escondido area.
The blazes marked an intense, early start to California's wildfire season, but authorities say most of the fires appeared to be dying down.
Cooler weather heading into the area is expected to help firefighting efforts.
Thousands of suburban San Diego residents forced to flee the wildfires threatening their communities have gradually been allowed to return home as firefighters gain ground against the blazes burning in and around California's second-largest city.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the causes of the blazes that destroyed at least eight homes and an 18-unit condominium complex, emptied neighborhoods and spread flames, smoke and ash that polluted the air as far north as Los Angeles County.
As of Thursday, for the first time this century, all of California is in a severe drought — or worse. The three worst levels of drought are severe, extreme and exceptional and the entire state is now in one of those three categories.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
A 57-year-old man, Alberto Serrato, pleaded not guilty Friday to an arson charge in connection with a 42.5-hectare blaze in suburban Oceanside that is now fully contained after starting Wednesday. Tanya Sierra, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County district attorney's office, tells the Associated Press witnesses saw Serrato adding dead brush onto smoldering bushes, which flared. Sierra said Serrato has not been connected to any other fire.
Serrato faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Two teenagers also were arrested Thursday after police said the suspects started at least two brush fires in San Diego's Escondido area.
The blazes marked an intense, early start to California's wildfire season, but authorities say most of the fires appeared to be dying down.
Cooler weather heading into the area is expected to help firefighting efforts.
Thousands of suburban San Diego residents forced to flee the wildfires threatening their communities have gradually been allowed to return home as firefighters gain ground against the blazes burning in and around California's second-largest city.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the causes of the blazes that destroyed at least eight homes and an 18-unit condominium complex, emptied neighborhoods and spread flames, smoke and ash that polluted the air as far north as Los Angeles County.
As of Thursday, for the first time this century, all of California is in a severe drought — or worse. The three worst levels of drought are severe, extreme and exceptional and the entire state is now in one of those three categories.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
