Published Aug 5, 2026 11:51 am
Valley Springs, CA—The Calaveras Sheriff’s Office this morning posted the arrest of a Valley Springs man along with a list of several fire-related charges.
The arrest was near where the Gann Fire was first reported to have ignited, which has burned approximately 9,363 acres of vegetation. It has forced the evacuation of 1,473 residents while placing an additional 1,400 under evacuation warnings, according to the governor’s office. 65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith was arrested on the 8500 block of Hogan Dam Road on Monday at 7:43 p.m. for three offenses. Smith was booked into Calaveras County Jail on charges that include a felony for causing a fire of a structure/forest land and two misdemeanors for operating machinery without clearance and allowing fire to escape/spread. Smith has been released on bond.
No more details have been released by sheriff’s officials.
Written by Tracey Petersen.
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