Woman arrested in Willow Fire

Investigators found a auto driving along a road started several fires in the area.

“So when it went by, it was a auto with the right rear wheel burning, not sparking, burning”, she said.

The flames broke out after 1 p.m. Sunday and has burned 450 acres.

A witness driving behind Hogan tried to get her attention, but she didn’t stop her vehicle, the CHP said.

The fire is still at 450 acres and 15 percent containment. Due to the fires, Hogan’s vehicle was also catching fire.

Hogan was taken into custody at Mountain Ranch Road and Mills Avenue as many residents of the area looked on.

In addition to Hogan being booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and with a suspended license, Cal Fire investigators said they will seek additional charges against her for causing a fire that burned a home and state forest and occurred during a state emergency. No one has been injured, and no buildings have been burned, but a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the Willow Valley Subdivision.

The fire started Sunday afternoon.

An evacuation center was set up at San Andreas Town Hall, 24 Church Road, in San Andreas.

Another person driving east along Mountain Ranch Road behind Hogan attempted to alert her but Hogan did not stop.

“The forward rate of spread has slowed”, she said. “Another minute and I would have never made it out of the house”. The Butte Fire last September consumed 71,000 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties.

But Cal Fire spokeswoman Lindy Shoff said Monday morning that she only knows of one outbuilding that was destroyed by the fire.