Wayne Allen Huntsman Sentenced to 20 Years For Setting King Fire
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A man who originally pleaded not guilty to starting a massive fire two years ago has now admitted he ignited the blaze that burned 80 structures in Northern California.
Thirty-nine-year-old Wayne Allen Huntsman pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of felony arson in the September 2014 King Fire.
El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Daniel Proud sentenced Huntsman to 20 years in prison and ordered him to pay $60 million in restitution.
Statement from @CALFIRE_CHIEF on the guilty plea of the 2014 #KingFire arsonist. https://t.co/s5hdBMb6Ps pic.twitter.com/GpRyWjebQP
— CAL FIRE PIO (@CALFIRE_PIO) April 9, 2016
The King Fire burned 12 homes, 68 other structures and more than 150 square miles of land in the north-central Sierra Nevada mountains. It took 300 firefighters and personnel about a month to control.
Huntsman made a video of himself during the fire that District Attorney Vern Pierson says was an attempt to portray himself as a hero.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.