Avery man charged with breaching Airola Fire evac zone
An Avery man was arrested late Wednesday night for allegedly breaching the roadblocks around the Vallecito area, which was evacuated earlier in the day after the onset of the Airola Fire.
Lt. Greg Stark with the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office said in an email to The Union Democrat on Thursday that the 32-year-old was arrested on the 49000 block of Parrots Ferry Road, which was near the Natural Bridges Trailhead and the intersection with Airola Road in Calaveras County.
Stark said the motive of the man, or if he intended to loot the evacuated area, was unknown.
“We take persons entering evacuated areas seriously,” Stark said.
Vallecito was placed under mandatory evacuation after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday due to an erupting wildfire spreading at a high rate of speed near Parrots Ferry Bridge near New Melons Reservoir.
After a unified command of law enforcement, including Sheriff’s deputies, Angels Camp police officers and California State Parks officers successfully evacuated the area, they initiated regular patrols through the area.
“During these extra patrols deputies vigorously patrol to ensure the security of the evacuated areas,” the news release stated.
The Calaveras County Road Department and the California Highway Patrol were tasked with administering the road closures.
As of Thursday morning, the road closures stood at all Parrots Ferry Road form the Tuolumne/calaveras county line between the Parrots Ferry Bridge and Highway 4, including Moaning Cavern and Camp Nine roads.
At 11:40 p.m., a CHP officer notified deputies that a man approached the southern roadblock gate and began yelling profanities.
Stark said in his email that the man arrived on foot.
The man allegedly became more and more agitated when he was notified that he was not allowed to enter the area and walked away from the roadblock.
About 10 minutes later, he was spotted past the roadblocks and within the evacuation zone.
Deputies ascertained that he walked through the woods to circumvent the roadblocks, the news release stated.
The man was reportedly uncooperative when contacted and told deputies to “take him to jail.”
He was taken into custody and transferred from the evacuation zone to the Calaveras County jail, where he was charged with unauthorized entry to an emergency area, public intoxication and delaying a peace officer in the performance of their duties, all misdemeanors.
The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office warned that people trespassing into areas under mandatory evacuation and looting would be arrested. They also said that trespassing would slow or stop firefighting progress, interrupt the flow of emergency equipment and personnel.
“Evacuations are put into place to save lives and protect property,” the release stated. “If you are caught interfering with those efforts in Calaveras County you will go directly to jail.”
The man’s identity was released by the Sheriff’s Office, but The Union Democrat generally does not publish the names of suspects arrested on misdemeanor charges other than driving under the influence.