An elderly man has been arrested and charged with starting a massive forest fire that swept through California’s Yosemite National Park in July 2022. 71-year-old Edward Fredrick Wackerman was taken into custody on June 16. Wackerman was arrested following an almost year-long investigation into the blaze, known as the Oak Fire.
However, many Democrats, including California Sen. Alex Padilla, claimed that “climate change” was to blame for the fire.
The widely publicized incident was used by Democrats as an opportunity to push the radical green agenda.
Wackerman appeared in court on June 20 and is being held on a no-bail detention order.
According to Mariposa County District Attorney Walter Wall, Wackerman will next appear in court on September 14, 2023.
Wall previously revealed during a June press conference that Wackerman has been charged with one count of aggravated arson, and three forest land felonies.
The felony charges include arson that caused great bodily injury and arson that caused damage to an inhabited dwelling.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Wall explained that four separate fires had been “intentionally set” in Mariposa County, leading to the Oak Fire.
Oak Fire went on to consume 127 residential structures, and engulf nearly 19,000 acres of land.
The blaze resulted in $8.3 million in property loss and cost CalFire close to $100 million in response costs.
Thankfully no lives were lost.
Despite Democrats pushing the “climate change” narrative in the corporate media, Sheriff Jeremy Briese reiterated that the fires were “deliberately set” and “not accidental.”
He said that Wackerman became a suspect early on in the investigation and the “climate” has never been linked to the blaze.
Authorities were able to attain probable cause to perform an arrest.
Thank you to all the firefighters and first responders working tirelessly under difficult conditions to combat the #OakFire.
Worsening drought and severe weather will only continue to put lives and property at risk from wildfire if we don't take climate action NOW. https://t.co/TG2djAM0OF— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) July 25, 2022
At the time of the fire, however, many Democrats pushed the narrative that it had been caused by climate change.
“Worsening drought and severe weather will only continue to put lives and property at risk from wildfire if we don’t take climate action NOW,” Sen. Padilla said on Twitter.
During an interview discussing how quickly the blaze had spread, “global warming” fearmonger Al Gore said, “The survival of our civilization is at stake.”
Despite the charges, the investigation is still ongoing as authorities have yet to uncover a motive for the arson.
A date for Wackerman’s arraignment has been set for September 14.
Wackerman is a longtime member of the Mariposa County community.
He even has experience as a firefighter.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, he was also a Democrat.
He gave money to many left-wing causes, including a $1,000 donation to Tim Ryan’s 2022 Senate campaign.
He also gave a $400 donation to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project.