California wildfires: Arson arrest over devastating blaze which forced entire town of people to flee

A supertanker jet drops fire retardant on the Holy Fire in California
AFP/Getty Images

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson over one of the devastating wildfires currently raging in California.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, is being held over two counts of felony arson in connection to the Holy Fire, which has ripped through over six square miles in the Santa Ana Mountains.

It has forced several entire mountain communities to flee their homes as hundreds of firefighters continued efforts to bring it under control on Wednesday.

Clark is being held on a $1m (£780,000) bail and is set to appear in court on Thursday. He was also arrested on suspicion of felony threat to terrorise and misdemeanour resisting arrest.

Forrest Gordon Clark was arrested in connection with the so-called Holy Fire
AP

A number of other fires continue to burn across the western states of the US, the largest of which is the Mendocino Complex, made up of the River and Ranch fires.

More than 4,000 firefighters battling the blaze have contained 47 percent of it.

The fires became the largest in the state's history earlier this week and have now destroyed more than 400 square miles (more than 300,000 acres) of the state.

More than 4,000 firefighters from California, other US states, Australia and New Zealand, are battling the Mendocino Complex, which is around 100 miles north of San Francisco.

A plane drops fire retardant behind homes as the Holy Fire burned near homes
AP

California fire officials have said they do not expect to gain control of the biggest blaze in the state’s history until September.

California wildfires pictured from space

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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the blaze burning near Clear Lake in Northern California has destroyed 116 homes since it started on July 27.

It is threatening another 10,000.

The agency also said two firefighters were injured but provided no further details.

Experts said California is seeing earlier, longer and more destructive wildfire seasons because of drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into the forests.

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