Arsonist arrested for devastating wildfires in Yosemite and Mariposa County.
A 71-year-old man, Edward Fredrick Wackerman, has been arrested for allegedly starting the Oak Fire in Yosemite National Park, which destroyed 127 homes, caused thousands of people to evacuate, and ravaged nearly 20,000 acres of vegetation in July 2022. The suspect is facing charges of suspicion of aggravated arson, arson that causes great bodily injury, and arson causing damage or destruction of inhabited structures. The fire was initially attributed to climate change, but it is unclear how Wackerman may have started the blaze or what finally led to his arrest.