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A man who was arrested near where the Gann Fire started in Calaveras County said he did not intentionally mean to ignite the flames. In a one-on-one interview with KCRA 3, Herbert Wayne Smith said the Monday the fire started was also his birthday. He wanted to earn some money for a dinner with his wife by gathering some scraps, and was using a saw to cut some scraps when the fire started. “I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened," Smith said. "That was never my intent. I was just out there trying to get some money together, and it turned into this.” Smith was arrested on charges related to causing a fire of a structure or forest land, allowing a fire to escape or spread, and operating machinery without clearance, according to jail logs. He was arrested at 8591 Hogan Dam Road at 7:43 p.m.
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Smith said he has since posted bond, and jail records also reflect that. Calaveras County Unified School District classes were canceled Wednesday because of the air quality affected by the wildfire smoke.
