71-year-old man suspected of starting Oak Fire in Mariposa County enters no plea
Over 120 homes and 66 outbuildings were also destroyed. Some residents could not rebuild in the area after losing everything.
MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The man accused of starting the destructive Oak Fire last July was arraigned Tuesday afternoon.
Suspected arsonist Edward Wackerman was escorted into the Mariposa County Courthouse in shackles.
Inside the courtroom, Wackerman faced a judge for the first time since his arrest on Friday.
The 71-year-old did not enter a plea but did answer a few questions from the judge.
The court appearance came just a few hours after the Mariposa County District Attorney announced the charges filed against him.
"I am filing four counts. One count of aggravated arson and 3 forest land felonies. If convicted, Mr. Wackerman is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison," said Mariposa County District Attorney, Walter Wall.
Three fires were set along Carstens Road in July of 2022 before a fourth spread out of control.
"This fire became known as the Oak Fire, one of the worst fires in Mariposa County history, consumed 127 residential structures, 19,000 acres resulting in over $8.3 million of property loss and over $100 million in Cal fire response costs," said Wall.
Jacob Hawley owned one of the homes that burned down. He said it's not just material items that were lost in the fire.
"We had a lot of great memories there. The kids have a lot of great memories. We liked to entertain so we like to have our friends over," said Hawley.
Now, he is converting a barn into a home for his family - as the community waits to learn more about the arson investigation.
Action News has learned a GoFundMe page was created last August on behalf of Wackerman by one of his neighbors. It raised money for a water system, which was destroyed by the same fire he's accused of setting. It describes Wackerman as a former firefighter who has lived in the area for several years.
Authorities have not shared a possible motive for the Oak Fire, but they are pledging to hold the defendant accountable for the physical and emotional damage he's accused of causing.
"I am 100% confident with the investigation and 100% confident the individual arrested is responsible and that our DA"s office will do their job and seek justice," said Mariposa County Sheriff, Jeremy Briese.
Wackerman is being held on a no bond order. He's scheduled to be back in court for an arraignment on September 14th
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