Arson suspect arrested after Northern California fire that destroyed 13 homes, Cal Fire says
Cal Fire announced Friday the arrest of a 26-year-old man in connection to starting a blaze last month in Oroville that destroyed 13 structures and led about 13,000 residents to evacuate.
The Thompson Fire, which began July 2, charred 3,789 acres in between the city of Oroville and Lake Oroville before it was fully contained about six days later, Cal Fire said. Four firefighters were also hurt.
Spencer Grant Anderson of Oroville was arrested Thursday in Chico without incident, Cal Fire’s Butte Unit said Friday in a news release.
Cal Fire said its law enforcement officers determined the cause of the Thompson Fire to be arson within 24 hours of the fire’s ignition and identified a suspect, but that Anderson was not arrested until 50 days later as they continued to investigate further.
“In an abundance of caution and for public safety Cal Fire officers immediately began monitoring the suspect while they worked to finalize the details of the case,” a news release said.
Anderson faces three charges related to arson of land and structures, according to Butte County Sheriff’s Office jail log.
Cal Fire said Anderson is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Butte Superior Court.
Cal Fire had not publicly labeled the fire’s cause as arson until Friday’s news release. As of Friday evening, its cause remained listed as “under investigation” on the agency’s website.
This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Arson suspect arrested after Northern California fire that destroyed 13 homes, Cal Fire says."
