Father And Son Accused Of Starting Caldor Fire Appear In Court, Maintain Innocence
PLACERVILLE (CBS13) - The two men accused of starting the destructive Caldor Fire appeared in court for the first time Tuesday and maintained their innocence.
"What goes through your head that you would want to ruin so many people's lives?" said Steve Ebner, who was evacuated from Pollock Pines due to the fire.
Standing side-by-side dressed in suits and ties, David Smith and his son, Travis, faced a judge Tuesday for the first time since prosecutors accused them of setting the Caldor Fire, which tore through El Dorado County for more than two months.
We caught up with the suspects outside of the courthouse and asked them how they felt about the accusations. The two declined to comment.
"It's kind of frustrating to know people are out starting stuff like this," Ebner said.
His brother-in-law lives in Grizzly Flats, a town that was almost entirely destroyed by the Caldor Fire.
"They're right in the middle of the spot where everything burned," Ebner said.
The father and son face accusations of reckless arson and possession of firearms.
The Smiths are out on bail after their attorney Mark Reichel convinced a judge neither is a flight risk, reducing their $1 million bail.
So what's next for the Smiths?
Reichel says the next court date, set for March 22, will determine whether the prosecution has enough evidence to move the case to trial. He says it won't ever get that far and he will try to convince the judge to drop the charges.
Reichel says his clients' only involvement was calling 911 when they spotted flames near Omo Ranch just south of Grizzly Flats, the origin of the fire.
