California prosecutors accused a man of starting a wildfire that has already forced the governor to declare a state of emergency.
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, Sept. 1, issued an emergency declaration for a wildfire burning in the northern part of the state, the same day that John Ballenger was charged with arson and accused of starting the blaze.
The so-called Ponderosa Fire has burned 3,715 acres and destroyed 30 homes in Butte County, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders to residents of some 500 homes in the area, officials said. It was 40 percent contained on Friday, up from 30 percent the day before.
Flames from the Ponderosa Fire burn a home east of Oroville, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2017. Noah Berger/Reuters
