Cal Fire says Pawnee fire caused by target shooting
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Following a 10-month investigation, Cal Fire has concluded that target shooting was the cause of the 2018 Pawnee fire, which burned thousands of acres and destroyed nearly two dozen structures near Clearlake Oaks.
Cal Fire said Friday that its law enforcement officers who conducted the investigation reached the conclusion on the Pawnee fire’s cause and origin.
The fire, which began on June 23 on Pawnee and New Long Valley roads in the Spring Valley Lakes subdivision northeast of Clearlake Oaks, burned 15,185 acres and destroyed 22 structures. It was fully contained on July 8.
It led to a local emergency proclamation by Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin, which the Board of Supervisors most recently voted to continue on Tuesday.
Then-Gov. Jerry Brown followed up on Sheriff Martin’s original proclamation last year by declaring a state of emergency in Lake County because of the Pawnee fire.
Cal Fire said its investigators were dispatched as part of the initial fire response and immediately began working to determine the blaze’s origin and cause.
The ensuing investigation uncovered evidence that target shooting sparked the fire, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire was assisted during the course of the investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Lake County District Attorney's Office, Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.
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