25-year-old woman arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in Calaveras County

The woman could face more than nine years in prison for alleged arson.

Authorities arrested a 25-year-old woman suspected of starting a wildfire on Tuesday in Calaveras County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

At about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters from the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit responded to a .14-acre wildfire on Sandalwood Drive in Forest Meadows. The firefighters quickly contained the fire, but a nearby home was damaged.

Katrina Kelly was arrested Tuesday for alleged arson to an inhabited structure during a state of
emergency.

Kelly could face up to nine years in prison for the alleged arson and additional time since the fire was started during a state of emergency.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a wildfire state of emergency on March 12 due to tree die-off, worsening forest conditions and the recent wildfires in 2017 and 2018, which were the deadliest and most destructive fires in California history. The emergency declaration, which is still in effect, fast-tracked the state’s tree clearing and other forest management work.