Teen Smoking Pot Accused Of Starting Stagecoach Fire

AUBURN (CBS13) — A pot smoking teenager is under arrest for allegedly starting the Stagecoach fire that led to evacuation orders for an Auburn neighborhood Thursday.

CalFire says the teen was the first to report the fire and that he was taken into custody as the fire began to spread out of control.

CalFire is not saying whether the teen allegedly set the fire on purpose or by accident.

Saul Wiseman is back in his Auburn home, which was one of many threatened by the wildfire the pot-smoking teen started.

"Well living on a canyon always concerned about fires, so I'm really surprised it's pot smoking," Wiseman said. That's just a big surprise."

From Wiseman's patio, trees coated with red retardant drops used to stop the fire's spread are only as short distance away.

Early in the afternoon, firefighters descended on this Auburn community, on the ground, and in the air.

CalFire's water-dropping helicopters were part of the initial attack, filling up at the American River.

The Placer County Sheriff's Department ordered dozens of Auburn families to evacuate, as the fire grew.

Some chose to stay, turning on their garden hoses for protection.

"Stressful, very stressful," Auburn homeowner Adam Slaugh said. "Not only do we have our property, we have tenants up here, people who live here we have to help protect."

CalFire was able to contain the fire, leaving a massive 12-acre burn scar in the canyon just below the evacuation zone.

Now a teen is under arrest for allegedly sparking the fire while smoking pot, sending people in this Auburn neighborhood into panic mode.