EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A judge has postponed the criminal case against the father and son duo accused of starting the Caldor Fire.
David and Travis Shane Smith both appeared in court Monday free on bail. They agreed to postpone the case until Oct. 10-11 due to a change in the prosecution team.
An attorney for the Smiths has said, “they didn’t start the fire.”
The Caldor Fire started in 2021, destroying the community of Grizzly Flats. The flames consumed almost a quarter-million acres, a thousand buildings and forced the evacuation of most of the Lake Tahoe basin.
El Dorado County prosecutors haven’t said how they believe the Smiths started the fire, but they did also file weapons charges in the case.
The prosecution will put forth evidence at October’s preliminary hearing in hopes of convincing a judge there’s probable cause to make the pair stand trial.
WATCH ALSO: Burning Grizzly Flats | Investigating unkept promises and mismanagement by the US Forest Service
