“My clients and I have literally just sat and waited for this day to come,” Mr. Reichel said. “As we sit here tonight, we have no idea what the prosecution’s theory is on how the fire started.”
The district attorney’s office did not provide details about what the men were accused of having done, and the U.S. Forest Service, which helped with the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Reichel said his clients had been in the Eldorado National Forest for recreation when they spotted a fire. They called 911 several times because their calls kept dropping, he said, and also warned other campers about the blaze.
“They’re from the area,” he said. “They love the forest and nature.”
As Labor Day weekend approached, the Caldor fire forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, choking the azure Tahoe region in acrid smoke. Ski resorts were covered in fire retardant, and beaches were barren.
The blaze, which caused no deaths, destroyed about 1,000 structures.
Lightning has caused an increasing number of fires in remote areas, spurring frenzied evacuations and prompting debates about how to prevent and fight out-of-control blazes. Still, many of the biggest, deadliest and most destructive fires in California in recent years have been started directly or indirectly by humans.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/us/caldor-fire-arson-arrest-california.html
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