Authorities have reported that the wildfire season has worsened this year due to arson. Cal Fire law enforcement deputies arrested Gary Kevin Fuller of Oroville on Oct. 19 for allegedly starting fires along Highway 162 in Butte County, Northern California. Fuller was charged with two counts of arson and was in custody as of Oct. 21.
Cal Fire responded to a brush fire near Arbol Avenue on the same day and quickly extinguished it. Witnesses provided a description of the arson suspect, leading to another vegetation fire being reported 1.5 miles away. A witness connected the suspect from the first fire to the second incident, and Butte County Sheriff’s deputies detained Fuller until Cal Fire investigators arrived.
Evidence at the scene and on the suspect led to Fuller’s arrest on arson charges. The fire agency has arrested over 110 people for arson in 2024, with arson incidents responsible for approximately 11% of all wildfires statewide, according to Cal Fire data. Other significant recent incidents include the Park Fire and the Line Fire, both allegedly started by individuals who have been arrested and charged with arson.
Currently, there are at least eight fires burning in the state, with resources focused on blazes in various counties. California typically experiences around 7,000 wildfires annually, resulting in nearly 1.3 million acres burned based on five-year averages. The impact of wildfires on the state’s housing industry and insurance market has led to a crisis of affordability and availability for homeowners and renters. Please rewrite this sentence.
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