California man arrested on suspicion of starting fire that destroyed nearly 200 buildings, forced 6,000 people to flee, burned 19,000 acres



A California man was arrested on Friday on suspicion of starting a forest fire that destroyed nearly 200 buildings, according to authorities. The suspect faces multiple felony charges.

Edward Fredrick Wackerman – a 71-year-old man from Mariposa, California – was arrested on suspicion of aggravated arson, arson that causes great bodily injury, and arson causing damage or destruction of inhabited structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire.

The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: "Through an extensive investigation Wackerman, a local Mariposa resident, was identified as the suspect responsible for igniting the Oak Fiire in July 2022."

"The arrest and comprehensive investigation were a collaborative effort between multiple agencies consisting of CAL FIRE Law Enforcement, Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement, National Park Service Law Enforcement, Madera County District Attorney Investigators, Mariposa County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Justice Attorney General’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)," the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office stated.

\u201cCAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrested 71-year-old Edward Fredrick Wackerman in connection to the destructive Oak Fire last year that burned over 19,000 acres. \nMore: https://t.co/hVyNW3lTBl\n(Photo: MCSO)\u201d
— FOX26 News (@FOX26 News) 1686978900

The Oak Fire started in the Sierra Nevada – a mountain range spanning 400 miles between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin.

"A combination of heat, low humidity and parched vegetation bedeviled firefighters battling the inferno that spread through the Sierra Nevada foothills, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for Mariposa County," the Los Angeles Times said. "The blaze burned until early August before being fully contained with more than 2,000 firefighters battling the flames at its height."

The Associated Press reported, "The fire injured three firefighters, burned 19,244 acres (30 square miles, 77 square kilometers) of land, and destroyed 127 homes and 66 outbuildings, Cal Fire said."

"At its height, some 6,000 people were told to flee their homes after the blaze erupted near the community of Midpines," according to CBS News.

There were no fatalities in the wildfire.

A Mariposa resident told KFSN-TV, "Why? Why did he do it? Why did he feel he had to do that and destroy so many people's lives? It's sad. To deliberately start and set that fire is absolutely appalling, and what's worse is I think I've actually seen him around the town."

The Mariposa County district attorney said in a statement that an "investigation is under review by our office."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic Party headquarters in Phoenix was allegedly destroyed by arson — days later police arrest a former volunteer



The headquarters of the Democratic Party in Phoenix, Arizona, was allegedly destroyed by arson on Thursday and days later police arrested a former volunteer they believe is responsible.

Arizona Democratic Party Chair Felecia Rotellini implied in a statement after the fire that political opponents might be to blame, but instead the police arrested a former volunteer that had been banned from the building where the headquarters is located.

"We're grateful for the response of the Phoenix Fire and Police Departments who are both still on the scene as we sort out what happened. We are relieved that no one was injured," said Rotellini.

Statement from ADP Chair @FeleciaForAZ on the fire last night at the @MaricopaDems and @azdemparty offices.… https://t.co/KIBzoYIAXk
— Arizona Democratic Party (@Arizona Democratic Party)1595610001.0

"The fire is devastating but we refuse to let this be a distraction. We feel more empowered than ever to turn Arizona blue," she added. "Our eyes remain on the prize of electing Democrats who will put Arizonans first. Thank you to all who have sent their love and support and have reached out to help."

On Wednesday, police arrested Matthew Egler, 29, after he made several claims on social media related to the fire at the headquarters.

"Why are they coming after me so hard? Um I took out a building," said Egler in a video posted to his Twitter account.

"Because I wasn't getting any responses from the Senate," he added, "uh, I got thrown out of the Supreme Court illegally, they shut down the Senate and House buildings when I tried to go inside."

He also made other threats on the video and encouraged his viewers to commit violence on his behalf.

"I'm your elected official, if I get arrested, go bomb the police, or go find those people, go kill'em. Just go kill them," he said. "I'm saying declaration of war. So I'm sorry. Whoever is responsible, kill'em."

Egler explains a bizarre conspiracy theory claiming that he secretly married the president's daughter Ivanka Trump.

Police say that he also claimed responsibility for the fire in a tweet from his account.

I BOMBED THIS BUILDING DO YOU NOT SEE THAT!?!?!I BOMBED IT!!!!😤😤😤😤🤩🤩🤩🤩🤯👇👇👇👇👇👌👌👌👌 https://t.co/ApxngpCTw3
— ValleyLeader™ (@ValleyLeader™)1595992351.0

Police say that surveillance video also points to his involvement with the fire. In the video they released a man can be seen tossing something into the building before it is engulfed by flames.

Police added that he had been a volunteer for the Democratic party from 2016 until 2017, but that he had been banned from the building. They did not specify why he had been banned.

Here's a local news report about the arrest:

Man arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Arizona Democratic Party headquarters in Phoenixwww.youtube.com