No charges for men accused of igniting massive Valley Fire in Lake County
No criminal charges will be filed against two men whose faulty hot tub wiring was linked to the most destructive fire in the history of Lake County, prosecutors there said Tuesday.
The Valley Fire, which started Sept. 12, 2015, burned across 76,000 acres in Middletown and other communities. Five people died, four firefighters were seriously injured and 2,048 structures were destroyed, including Harbin Hot Springs and Hoberg’s Resort. Damage was estimated to exceed $1.5 billion.
After a lengthy investigation, Cal Fire said it traced the blaze to the wiring of a hot tub at a home in the mountain community of Cobb. The home was co-owned by John Alfred Pinch, Parker Charles Mills and their wives.