Good to see progress on Pier Fire

So many times wildfires erupt, millions of dollars are spent fighting the blazes and long, long after the flames are doused the cause of the fire is released.

And sometimes, the person or persons responsible for the fire are caught and then held responsible.

It’s refreshing to see this will not be the case in the Pier Fire.

Long before the Pier Fire was extinguished, the cause was released during one of the community meetings held at the Porterville College Student Center.

At that time, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told the crowd that someone had set fire to a stolen car and dumped it over the canyon along Highway 190 near the Stairs above Springville on Aug. 29.

Being that the fire was in the forest, the U.S. Forest Service was in charge of the investigation and since it was on Highway 190, the California Highway Patrol was also asked to assist.

Nearly two months after the fire started, four people, Richard Anthony Renteria, 21, Isiac Nicholas Renteria Jr., 19, Osvaldo Esparza-guerrero, 20, and Breane Renee Ojeda, 21, all with ties to Visalia were arrested on suspicion of felony arson and vehicle theft.

Officials said a 2017 Dodge Challenger was found along Highway 190 near the Stairs and had been deliberately set on fire. That set off the Pier Fire which burned for a month, did $7 million in damage and cost more than $40 million to suppress.

Officials believe the four are responsible for stealing the car, setting it on fire and dumping it.

The case is expected to be tried in Porterville.

We’ll let the courts decide if they are guilty or not. We are just glad to have some questions answered related to the cause of the fire.