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Truckee man arrested, suspected of setting Saturday wildfire

Kevin MacMillan
kmacmillan@sierrasun.com

TRUCKEE, Calif. — A local man was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of starting a wildfire in eastern Truckee.

Calfire officials arrested William Bryan Hendren, 31, of Truckee on Saturday after crews put out a quarter-acre vegetation fire in the area of Juniper Hill and Glenshire, near Foxboro Drive, Calfire Spokesman John Hotchkiss said Tuesday.

The fire, which started at about 6:30 p.m., was out by 7:30, Hotchkiss said. The Truckee Fire Protection District and U.S. Forest Service also responded.



“It was a very small fire, fortunately — considering the conditions we’re in, thank goodness for that,” he said.

Hendren was arrested in the area of the blaze, Hotchkiss said, and was booked Sunday morning into the Nevada County Jail.



He faces a felony arson charge, as well as an additional felony charge of committing a crime while on bail.

His bail Sunday was set at $20,000; it’s not immediately clear if Hendren has been released.

Hotchkiss said the Truckee Police Department and Nevada County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.

BOCA FIRE UPDATE

In related news, federal officials continue to investigate what or who sparked the Boca Fire that scorched 84 acres last month.

No structures were threatened, and no one was hurt in the Aug. 18 blaze that burned for roughly seven hours off Interstate 80 near the old Boca township, east of the dam at Boca Reservoir.

As of Tuesday, no cause had been determined, said Michael Woodbridge, public affairs officer for the Tahoe National Forest unit of the U.S. Forest Service.

“We’re working on it … and hope to have a cause known as soon as we can,” he said. “Each incident is different. Some we can figure out faster than others, while others, they take longer.”

As for an investigation wrap-up timetable, Woodbridge said that’s unknown.

In all, 21 engines, four air tankers, three helicopters, four water tenders and two dozers, along with several ground crews, responded to the fire.


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