As a persistent drought continues to plague California, arson related arrests made by Cal Fire Law Enforcement officials are not slowing down.
According to a recent report released by Cal Fire, law enforcement officials within the agency made an astonishing 149 arson arrests across the state in 2021. That’s more than double the number of arrests made in 2019 and is 29 more arrests than 2020.
“It is concerning,” said Gianni Muschetto, Chief of Law Enforcement for Cal Fire. “But we have been more successful in our arson arrests.”
On Saturday Muschetto told NewsWatch 12 that although the number of arrests has gone up, it doesn’t mean that the amount of arson related wildfire has as well.
Muschetto stating that up to their most current data, in the last five years up to 2019, wildfires started by arsonists only account for between six to ten percent of the state’s total wildfires.