EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A father and son are now under arrest, accused of reckless arson in connection with the Caldor Fire, the massive wildfire that burned more than 200,000 acres in El Dorado and Amador Counties.
David Scott Smith, 66, and Travis Shane Smith, 32, were arrested pursuant to Ramey warrants. A Ramey warrant is a warrant that is issued before criminal charges are filed.
The two men are accused of violating section 452 of the California Penal Code, commonly referred to as “reckless arson,” which caused inhabited properties to burn and resulted in ‘great bodily injury to multiple victims.’
NEW: Just spoke with the defense attorney for the suspects who said the father & son called 9-11 & also alerted campers of the fire. Both are accused of illegally shooting a weapon according to their attorney. https://t.co/0Ziefu3fSx
— Nikki Laurenzo (@NikkiLaurenzo) December 8, 2021
Five people were injured and more than 221,835 acres were destroyed during the 67 day blaze, Cal Fire reported. Also, 81 structures were damaged and 1,003 structures were destroyed.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office worked together with the USDA Forest Service, Cal Fire, the California Department of Justice and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Crime Lab to investigate the cause of the Caldor Fire.
