Body found in California home burned by wildfire believed started by chain saw

The Gann Fire burns along a hillside near Copperopolis on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Calaveras County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Flames consume vegetation as the Gann Fire burns near Copperopolis on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Calaveras County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) SAN ANDREAS, Calif. (AP) — A dead body was found inside a central California home burned by a wildfire that investigators believe was accidentally started by sparks from a chain saw, authorities said Thursday. Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the blaze that has destroyed seven structures and scorched more than 15 square miles (39 square km) of forest in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. Smith is suspected of “recklessly causing” the blaze on Monday while “operating equipment capable of producing sparks” without clearing flammable vegetation as required, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

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