News: Man held in Catalina Island fire inquiry

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

News: Man held in Catalina Island fire inquiry

Island fire - Man held in Catalina fire inquiry

LONG BEACH - An Indiana man has been charged for allegedly starting the Santa Catalina Island fire in May, authorities said Tuesday.

Gary Dennis Hunt, 49, was charged with two felony counts in his arrest warrant: one for recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure and one for recklessly causing a fire to a structure or forest. Three Catalina Island addresses were listed in the counts.

According to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, Hunt was a subcontractor working on the island. Despite posted signs about extreme fire danger and prohibition of open flames, he allegedly used an open-flame torch on May 10 to cut the cables on the island's radio tower, Ambrose said.

That allegedly started the fire, which burned 4,750 acres and cost $5 million to fight.

Hunt is scheduled to be brought to Los Angeles County by county fire investigators this week, according to Deputy District Attorney Ann W. Ambrose. His arraignment is tentatively set for Monday at the Long Beach Superior Court.

If convicted, Hunt faces a maximum prison term of eight years.

Hunt was arrested Jan. 19 in Indiana and is currently in custody of the Gibson County Sheriff's Department.

In a past interview, Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau president and CEO Wayne Griffin estimated that there was $11.5 million in property damage to one home and six industrial storage buildings, and a $2 million loss of tourist
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dollars from the fire.

For three days, tourists were advised against visiting the island while city and county fire departments battled the blaze. In addition, 479 buildings in Avalon were under mandatory evacuation at the height of the fire.

Source: Press-telegram

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008