The wildfire in a northern California forest area was probably placed with intention: The police has arrested a suspected arsonist. Meanwhile the fire continues to try to stem the raging flames to 280 square kilometers.

A fast spreading wildfire in northern California may have been caused by arson. As reported by the authorities in the district of El Dorado, the police arrested a 37-year-old suspect. The man sitting in custody, the bail was set at $ ten million.

According to a report in the “Sacramento Bee” the investigators gave not known how the man is said to have set the fire. It was only that he had executed the deed “intentionally and maliciously”. The suspect will be convicted several times.

Nearly 3,700 firefighters fought on Thursday against the flames that now threaten more than 2,000 homes. The affected forest area is located near the town of Pollock Pines, about a hundred kilometers east of the Californian capital Sacramento. Despite the large use of fire has so far hardly be contained. The flames have spread over an area of ​​over 280 square kilometers – about the city of Dortmund.

More than 3,000 people had to leave their homes as a precaution. No buildings were destroyed, it said. But in high winds and hot temperatures, the situation is still tense. An expressway connecting Sacramento with the excursion area Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada, had to be locked.

In the drought-stricken state of the fire is currently a total of up to a dozen major fires in use. The Governor of California had declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. This helper can be mobilized quickly, even Needful money for firefighters is more quickly available.

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