Suspect Arrested In Gann Fire

A Valley Springs man has been arrested in connection with the Gann Fire. According to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, Sixty-five-year-old Hervert Wayne Smith was taken into custody Monday evening on Hogan Dam Road, near where the wildfire is believed to have started.   Smith faces one felony count of causing a fire to a structure or forest land, along with two misdemeanor charges for operating machinery without the required clearance and allowing a fire to escape and spread.   The Gann Fire has now burned approximately 9,363 acres, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,500 residents and placing another 1,400 under evacuation warnings.  Smith was booked into the Calaveras County Jail and later released after posting bond.  The Sheriff's Office has not released any additional details about the investigation, which remains ongoing.