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.

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."

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