Sonora, CA – The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office has released the mugshot of the Sonora man accused of setting the Dove Fire, who remains behind bars as bail was denied at his arraignment yesterday afternoon.
As we reported here on Wednesday, 30-year-old Jacob Hoskins, of Sonora, was arraigned in a Tuolumne County Superior Court and charged with one count of arson and one count of recklessly causing a fire. Prosecutors pointed out that two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze near downtown Sonora, burning 226 acres to date, and a full accounting of the damage caused by the Dove Fire is still ongoing.
Central Sierra Broadcasting reached out to Tuolumne County Superior Court, and Court documents revealed that Hoskins told sheriff’s detectives that he worked as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter for ten years. He also shared with them that he dropped his cigarette into dry grass where the blaze broke out along Highway 108. He also referred to the 2021 Washington Fire, stating that he knew it left behind dead wood and further dry fuels. Hoskins claims that after noticing a fire had started, he fled the area as the flames were taking off. Prosecutors stated that CAL FIRE disclosed to them that multiple trailers and some Sonora City-owned property were burned in the blaze. The prosecutor also noted that Hoskins told detectives that as the fire spread quickly, he flagged down a vehicle and claimed he did not know how the flames ignited.
After admitting that he had no job or money to pay for a lawyer, he was assigned a public defender. Prosecutors argued that Hoskins should not get bail, and the judge agreed. Hoskins did not enter a plea as his new lawyer asked that the arraignment be continued. His next court appearance is on Friday, August 7, 2026.
