Arson arrest tied to Ridge Fire in Siskiyou County

A man suspected of starting the Ridge Fire west of Mount Shasta has been arrested by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The unidentified man was arrested Thursday, June 30, and booked into Siskiyou County Jail on suspicion of six counts of arson to forestland. Five counts are related to five fires related to the Ridge Fire and the sixth count is a separate fire, Cal Fire said.

Fire officials didn't identify the suspect, but said he was apprehended with the help of the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office and the Lake Shastina and Yreka police departments.

The Ridge Fire started June 26 on Rainbow Ridge and was fought by firefighters from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. The fire burned in heavy timber and on steep terrain.

Mike Chapman is an award-winning reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Support local journalism by subscribing today.