The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has released this exclusive photograph, capturing the moment when Edward Wackerman, a 71-year-old resident of Mariposa, was apprehended on Friday, June 16, 2023. Wackerman faces grave accusations of arson, resulting in severe bodily harm and the obliteration of inhabited structures. Authorities suspect him of igniting a devastating forest fire that laid waste to over 100 residences near Yosemite National Park in the previous year, as confirmed by state fire officials. (Image courtesy of Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, via AP)
In Mariposa, California, an elderly gentleman aged 71 was apprehended on Friday by California fire authorities under the suspicion of initiating a forest fire. The blaze, which occurred near Yosemite National Park and resulted in the devastation of over 100 residential properties last year, led to the arrest of Edward Fredrick Wackerman, a resident of Mariposa.
Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, stated that Wackerman faces charges of aggravated arson, arson causing significant bodily harm, and arson leading to the destruction of inhabited structures.
- The arrest circumstances were not disclosed and there have been no charges filed yet.
- It remains uncertain whether Wackerman has legal representation available to advocate for him.
Cal Fire has accused Wackerman of initiating the destructive Oak Fire that ravaged Mariposa County in the Sierra Nevada region during July of 2022.
This devastating incident resulted in three firefighters sustaining injuries extensive land area of 19,244 acres (equivalent to 30 square miles or 77 square kilometers). It is being scorched, and the loss of 127 residences along with 66 outbuildings.
During its peak, approximately 6,000 individuals were compelled to evacuate . Their residences when the inferno ignited in the vicinity of Midpines, prompting a swift exodus.
Last year, a series of destructive wildfires ravaged Northern California and various other states, and this particular conflagration was among them.
The devastating blaze known as the Mill Fire, which originated in September 2022, tragically claimed two lives and left a trail of destruction in its wake, ravaging almost 150 structures.
In an official announcement on Friday California fire revealed. That diligent investigators conclusively established that the Mill Fire’s source can be attributed to activities conducted at a wood products mill situated in Weed. California, near the border shared by California and Oregon.
Roseburg Forest Products, located in Springfield. Oregon, and the proud owner of a wood veneers manufacturing facility. Revealed in the previous year. It successfully resolved a settlement with over 700 individuals who had submitted claims of wrongful death, personal injury, and property loss.
Specific details regarding that agreement were not made public
The company had previously stated that it was conducting an inquiry into the potential cause of the California fire, which centered around a water-spraying apparatus utilized for ash cooling at the mill.
In the past few years, California has witnessed a surge in larger and more devastating California fire, primarily due to the impact of climate change. Which has led to significantly hotter and drier conditions across .The Western region over the last three decades. So, Experts predict that the weather patterns will continue to grow increasingly severe, resulting in more frequent, destructive, and unpredictable wildfires.