Temporary Firefighter Accused in 5 Arsons
A U.S. Forest Service firefighter has been arrested and charged with setting five fires over the last two months in the Cleveland National Forest.
James King was being held without bail on five counts of willfully starting fires. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. King, a 26-year-old from Ramona who was in his third season as a temporary firefighter, was arrested Saturday at the Pine Hills Ranger Station where he worked, about 60 miles east of San Diego.
No one was injured in any of the fires, which consumed about 30 acres in San Diego County, but investigators said that did not diminish the seriousness of the case.
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