San Andreas – On Thursday, July 30th the cause of the Big Creek Fire was determined to be an escaped debris fire. A suspect was identified and at 6:00 p.m. an arrest was made in connection with the start of the fire. Lisa Ann Vilmur was arrested and booked into Tuolumne County Jail for one count of recklessly causing a fire, a felony violation of Penal Code § 452(c). Her bail has been set in the amount of $100,000.

The U.S. Forest Service and CAL FIRE remind residents that debris burning may or may not be permitted based on the time of year, location, or special circumstances. Restrictions on debris burning have been in effect since June 1st for the entire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, including the area of the Big Creek Fire.

To date, the Big Creek fire has destroyed 204 acres of forested land, with containment currently at 35 percent. The fire started within the Groveland Ranger District, along the Highway 120 corridor, near Buck Meadows. Due to the fact that 25 homes were potentially at risk, voluntary evacuations were put in place for the Hell’s Hollow area.

For additional fire information, contact the Big Creek Fire Information hotline at: 209-754-5527 or by reviewing data online: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1164

For additional information on the arrest, contact the Tuolumne County District Attorney’s Office at 209-588-5450.