Man suspected of starting Dove Fire near Sonora, where evacuations remain
By Cecilio Padilla
Mandatory evacuations remained in place Monday as firefighters continued battling the Dove Fire in Tuolumne County near Sonora and Jamestown.
A 30-year-old man is suspected of starting the fire, which began Sunday at about 2:48 p.m. in the area of Highway 108 and Mill Villa Road, southwest of downtown Sonora and just northeast of Jamestown. He was arrested on Monday, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office said.
The fire was at 40 percent containment and had burned 225 acres as of Tuesday evening. A Cal Fire incident update on Monday listed two firefighters as being injured but there was no immediate word on the extent of their injuries. No structures have been threatened.
Cal Fire said fire activity decreased as night fell Sunday and air and ground crews were making progress against the flames. Crews worked overnight mopping up hot spots and strengthening control lines, the agency said. Firefighting air tankers from across California were flying fire suppression missions as conditions allowed on Monday.
Up-to-date evacuation information can be found on the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Facebook page and on Cal Fire’s incident page.
The Tuolumne Community Resilience Center at 18241 Bay Ave. in Tuolumne was opened as an evacuation center. People staying there can bring small animals, including dogs and cats. An evacuation center for large animals was set up at the Posse Grounds, at 19130 Rawhide Road in Jamestown.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for:
- Golden Dove
- Silver Pine Drive
- Symons Lane
- Southgate Drive
- Hill Street
- Sonora Ave
- Fair Street
- Gerrymander Avenue
- West Sunset Street
- Mill Villa Court
Evacuation warnings are in place for:
- McKibbon Drive
- Martha Lane
- Outlook Drive
- Crooked Lane
- West Lytton Street
- Olive Street
- Maple Street
- High Street
- Bulwer Street
- Toby Street
- June Street
- West Church Lane
- Knowles Hill Drive
- South side of Mono Way from Greenley Road to Washington Street
Anyone who feels unsafe in the affected area was urged to leave without waiting for an evacuation order. Officials urged people to avoid areas where emergency crews are working.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office said deputies would patrol evacuated areas as firefighters continue working.
Some roads began reopening Sunday night. Highway 108 was fully reopened as of 2:25 p.m. Washington Street was open, but the side streets on the west side from Symons Lane to Stockton Road remained closed. Stockton Road was reopened to Forest Road, while Southgate Drive remained closed.
Cal Fire arrested 30-year-old Jacob William Hoskins, of Sonora, on suspicion of recklessly causing a fire, the sheriff’s office said Monday.
On Sunday, not long after the fire started, several people made reports to the sheriff’s office that they saw a man wearing a straw hat running from the area. The sheriff’s office said photos and video of the man then began circulating on social media. He was later identified as a local transient, known to area law enforcement.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect’s name is Jacob William Hoskins. Deputies said they did not have enough probable cause to detain him when they first contacted him.
Cal Fire’s Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit law enforcement soon gathered more information, and alongside a deputy who spoke to an associate of Hoskins, they were able to arrest him on suspicion of violating California Penal Code § 452(c) – recklessly causing a fire.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy found Hoskins at Rotary Park in Sonora and also found the same clothing, including the straw hat seen in photos and videos, at the park.
“The vigilance of community members who promptly reported suspicious activity and captured photos and videos of Hoskins proved invaluable to the investigation and ultimately contributed to his identification and arrest,” the sheriff’s office said.
Federal assistance for firefighting effort
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced that California had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to bolster the state’s response to the Dove Fire. The grant allows local, state and tribal agencies to apply for 75% reimbursement of their costs of suppressing the fire.
Cal Fire said in its Dove Fire incident report that there were 484 total personnel responding to the fire as of Monday afternoon.
