Tuolumne County, CA — A federal indictment alleges that a Columbia
resident kindled a fire in the Stanislaus National Forest, and allowed
it to spread beyond his control.
At the time of the fire on August 17
th, fire restrictions
were in place in the Stanislaus National Forest. Keith Emerald, 32, was
rescued by helicopter from the Clavey River Canyon, approximately an
hour after the fire started.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Spokesperson Lauren Horwood would not comment
on why the investigation took nearly a year, other than to say it was
“extensive.”
Court documents claim that Emerald initially admitted to causing the fire, but then later denied it.
The affidavit notes that investigators first sat down and interviewed Emerald, at length, on August 23
, 2013. The report notes that Emerald initially said he believed a rockslide started the fire.
In a later interview on August 30, investigators spoke with Emerald
near the site of the fire’s origin. Emerald said on the day the fire
started he had been dressed in camouflage and believed that marijuana
growers spotted him, and they may have thought he was law enforcement.
Emerald indicated to investigators that he thought marijuana growers
could have started the fire.
Court documents show on September 3
rd, during an
interview, Emerald allegedly admitted to accidentally starting the fire
while cooking soup. Winds blew embers uphill, and he was not able to
control it. Emerald was concerned about his name getting out in the
media. Officials said that it would not be released until a later date,
around winter.
In a follow up discussion days later, Emerald allegedly stated he
only admitted to starting the fire because of pressure placed on him by
investigators.
The ongoing investigation continued over the course of the next year.
A search warrant was carried out at his vehicle and residence, and
evidence was analyzed. This morning federal officials stated they have
probable cause to believe that Emerald was responsible.
He is expected to appear soon in federal court in Fresno.
It is noted that Emerald is innocent until proven guilty.
