Father and son arrested for allegedly sparking Caldor Fire
CBSN
Nearly four months after the Caldor Fire broke out, two men have been arrested for allegedly starting the massive blaze. The fire burned more than 200,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures before it was contained on October 21.
David Smith, 66, and Travis Smith, 32, were charged with reckless arson, the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. The two are father and son, according to the district attorney.
The Caldor Fire began on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada on August 14. It spread further into California, coming alarmingly close to the tourist area of Lake Tahoe, according to the Associated Press. Thousands of people were evacuated from the area and officials were able to keep the flames from most heavily populated areas.
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.