Father, Son Arrested on Suspicion of Starting Massive Caldor Fire Near Lake Tahoe

A father and son were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting the massive Caldor Fire in August that destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee communities near Lake Tahoe.

David Scott Smith, 66, and his son, Travis Shane Smith, 32, have been accused of reckless arson in a warrant issued before formal charges are filed, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office said.

Mark Reichel, the attorney for both men, said they were arrested Wednesday afternoon and that "reckless arson" means starting a blaze by accident but “to such a degree that it was considered reckless.”

Authorities allege they caused homes to burn and people to be seriously injured. The Caldor Fire burned for several months, before being fully contained in October, scorching nearly 222,000 acres, from the foothills east of Sacramento to the Nevada border.

The fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other buildings while crossing a mostly remote forested area of seasonal cabins. The blaze traversed three northern counties, destroyed much of the small foothills community of Grizzly Flats, near where the fire ignited, and forced more than 20,000 residents to evacuate the resort town of South Lake Tahoe. Five injuries from the fire were reported, but no deaths.

It was one of two massive fires last summer that for the first time in modern history crossed the crest of the Sierra Nevada range.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson provided few details about the arrest of the Smiths, citing the investigation.

“They are absolutely 100% innocent,” said Reichel, the Smiths' lawyer, adding that he did not know details of the accusation, such as how authorities allege the fire was set. The two men have a scheduled court appearance on Friday, he said.

Reichel said Travis Smith is an electrician and was with his father near where the fire started. The son called 911 to report seeing flames, Reichel said.

The son made several 911 calls because the calls kept dropping in the remote area they were in, and both men also warned campers about the fire, Reichel said.

“Neither one has ever been in trouble with the law in their life. They’re very law-abiding people,” he said.

“There has been no evidence submitted into a court subject to my cross-examination ... that proves any of the prosecution’s evidence yet,” Reichel added. “So I urge everyone to wait and hear what really happened before they form any opinions.”

The district attorney’s office said the case was developed with the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire and the California Department of Justice, with help from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office crime lab.

Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed from Los Angeles.