Man Sentenced To Prison For Sparking 2019’s Mountain Fire

A Redding man who’s already been sentenced for federal arson charges has now been sentenced for state charges from a different fire. 41-year-old Eric Smith pled guilty last month in a plea deal. He admitted to starting the Mountain Fire in Shasta County in 2019. As the fast moving fire tore a path from Jones Valley to Bella Vista, it burned 600 acres, destroyed 14 homes and injured 3 people. Smith was sentenced Tuesday to 7 years in state prison. When he’s done serving that sentence he’ll be transferred to a federal prison to serve 2-and-a-half years for starting eleven fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.