A man accused of driving his truck for miles without a right front tire has been arrested for allegedly starting the Flora Fire, which burned 36 acres in Sonoma County and threatened structures for four days before being fully contained Sunday, according to Cal Fire.
Justin Roy Jones, 44, of Anderson, California, was arrested last week on suspicion of unlawfully starting a fire in a structure, forest or property and violating his probation, Cal Fire said in a written statement. The agency did not provide details about the man’s alleged probation violation.
The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The fire broke out at 4:39 p.m. Wednesday in the 12000 block of Chalk Hill Road in Geyserville. Cal Fire said witnesses saw a man drive his truck without a front tire for more than four miles, creating sparks as the truck’s rim squeaked on the asphalt.
“This caused three separate fires along Chalk Hill Road, threatening multiple structures,” Cal Fire said.
The wind-driven fire threatened several buildings and burned 36 acres for four days until it was fully contained Sunday, the fire agency said. No structures were destroyed or damaged, and no injuries were reported.
