Arrest made in last year's Summit Fire

(04-21) 15:15 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A Santa Clara County man has been arrested on suspicion of setting the Summit Fire in the Santa Cruz mountains last May that scorched more than 4,000 acres, injured 12 people and destroyed 132 homes and outbuildings.

Fire investigators said today that Channing Verden accidentally set the blaze as he cleared brush for a landowner. Verden has been charged with one felony count of unlawfully causing the fire, with an enhancement for causing multiple structures to burn.

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

Verden, 50, the owner of Advanced Earth Technologies of Los Gatos, turned himself in to authorities today after a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

The Summit Fire was stubborn and difficult to fight. It started May 22 near Maymens Flats off Summit Road in an unincorporated area west of Morgan Hill and moved south and southwest out of control. When firefighters were finally able to extinguish it more than a week later, it had cost well over $12 million to battle, authorities said at the time.

A statement of probable cause filed recently by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) indicates that fire investigators discovered piles of burning leaves and brush on the east side of Summit Road. Based on burn indicators, witness statements and weather observations, the investigators determined that the fire began with those burning piles of leaves and brush.

On March 25, according to the statement, fire officials had gone to the area to check on reports of burning in the area and found what they were looking for at 31000 Summit Road. They spoke to the property owner and were told that a contractor had been hired to clear and burn brush. The fire officials then met with Verden and pointed out problems with his operation, including an absence of a water source. Officials said in the statement of probable cause that the officials were told the problems would be fixed.

After the fire broke out nearly two months later, they returned to the piles of leaves and brush allegedly created by Verden, and discovered that no water had been applied to them and that there was still no source of water in the vicinity.

The statement indicated that employees of Verden said they saw burning embers floating from the burn pile onto adjacent brush, and that Verden knew that weather conditions were too hot and dry for safe burning.

Nick Muyo, public information officer for Santa Clara County, said Verden was charged with unlawfully causing a fire, instead of arson, because evidence suggests that the fire was not deliberately set.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle ~ SFGate.com
E-mail John Koopman at jkoopman@sfchronicle.com.