Arson suspect in King Fire allegedly broke into house to call 911

PLACERVILLE, Calif., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A man now being held in lieu of $10 million bail set a blaze that grew into the massive King Fire and then broke into a house to call 911, police in California said.

Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, was arrested Wednesday. He was scheduled to appear in court in El Dorado County on Friday afternoon.

The fire started Saturday on an embankment in Pollock Pines behind Raif Lorenz's house. Lorenz was at work in the San Francisco area at the time.

Lorenz told KXTV his home security company called him about the break-in Saturday. Police charge that Huntsman kicked in a door, used the phone in an effort to call 911 and stole some items from the house, which survived the fire -- although it came close.

"I can't understand what the guy was thinking," homeowner Lorenz said.

The King Fire remained small for two days before high winds and tinder-dry vegetation led to an explosion in size. The fire has now burned more than 100 square miles in the American River area east of Sacramento, and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

Huntsman, who lives in Pollock Pines, has a criminal record. But his sister said he would never deliberately set a wildfire, describing him as an avid outdoorsman who loves nature.

"There's no way he would have ever done this intentionally," Tami Criswell of Salinas told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Huntsman has never previously been charged with arson. His sister said he moved to Pollock Pines last year, lives with his girlfriend and works in construction and landscaping.

Police had not released any information on how or why the fire was allegedly set.