$50,000 Reward toward Arrest and Conviction of Arsonist

Thursday, October 25, 2007

$50,000 Reward toward Arrest and Conviction of Arsonist

10/23/2007 GAAS:857:07

CDF - Cal Fire Arson hotline
1-800-468-4408

Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces $50,000 Reward toward Arrest and Conviction of Arsonist

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced a $50,000 reward for information leading toward the arrest and conviction in a California court of the person or persons responsible for setting the Santiago Fire. Below is the full text of the Governor's proclamation.

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, there are more than 15 fires burning in southern California; and

WHEREAS, the fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres, including thousands of homes, businesses and structures; and

WHEREAS, the fires have forced 321,500 people to evacuate; and

WHEREAS, in response to the fires, I issued a proclamation of emergency for seven counties, including Orange County, and the President of the United States declared a major disaster in those counties; and

WHEREAS, one of the fires in southern California is the Santiago Fire in Orange County, which has burned more than 20,000 acres, causing more than 40,000 people to evacuate; and

WHEREAS, state and local officials have determined that the cause of the Santiago fire is most likely arson; and

WHEREAS, the Governor is authorized by Penal Code section 1547(a) to offer rewards up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who commits arson; and

WHEREAS, Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona has asked that a state reward be offered to encourage individuals with information about this crime to contact law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, rewards often encourage public cooperation essential to apprehend those who have committed serious offenses; and

WHEREAS, the reward will be paid in accordance with Penal Code section 1547.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, do hereby offer, effective immediately, a reward in the amount of $50,000 for new information, voluntarily given hereafter, leading to the arrest and conviction in a California court of the person or persons responsible for setting the Santiago Fire.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed at Sacramento, California this 24th day of October 2007.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Governor, State of California

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

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Thursday, October 25, 2007