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One Dead in California Fire Started by Man Who Said He Lit It by Accident
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- A wildfire near Sacramento, started by sparks from equipment operated by Herbert Wayne Smith, has resulted in at least one death, according to authorities.
- Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, was arrested and charged with recklessly causing a fire and allowing it to spread out of control after using a power saw without proper precautions in a rural area southeast of Sacramento.
- The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office discovered a body inside a burned home near the fire’s origin, with the identity withheld pending family notification.
- Smith stated in a TV interview that he was cutting scrap metal to raise money for a birthday dinner and expressed remorse, describing the fire as an accident.
- Efforts to contact Smith for further comment were unsuccessful, and it is unclear if he has legal representation.
