The sheriff’s office said its deputies, the Marin County Fire Department and Novato police were working to identify a suspect who may have been involved in starting Tuesday’s fire in Queenstone.
After a search of the area, the suspect was found near the Safeway on Nave Drive in Novato. The Sheriff’s Office identified him as 34-year-old Colin Crook of San Rafael.
According to the sheriff’s office, Crook told officers he started the fire and burned his tent and belongings, then left the area before completely extinguishing the fire.
The sheriff’s office said Crook told them he left the area to avoid trouble because he knew it was reckless to set the fire.
Crook was booked into the Marin County Jail on charges of negligently setting fire to wooded area and delaying or obstructing a police officer.
According to authorities, the vegetation fire started early Tuesday morning northwest of Marinwood in Marin County.
PG&E wildfire camera
The incident was first reported before 5 a.m. The so-called Queenstone Fire was burning in the remote area of Queenstone Fire Rd. and Chicken Shack Fire Rd. north of Lucas Valley Road, as reported on Watchduty.org.
The fire department has requested several fire engines and a bulldozer. There are currently no evacuations related to the fire. A map showing the location of the fire can be found at emergency.marincounty.org.
By 8 a.m., the fire had spread to an area of approximately 4.5 to 6.5 hectares. Firefighters are on site and additional emergency personnel are deployed in the remote area.
Aerial photography from a helicopter showed that the fire had spread to 25-40 acres by 9:50 a.m. Two tankers and helicopters provided air support.
The Marin County Fire Department later issued an update, downgrading the size of the fire to 18 acres as of 12:30 p.m. The fire was 25% contained. Over 100 firefighters from Cal Fire and all fire departments in Marin County are on the scene.
Air support was deployed to fight the fire in the early afternoon. At 1:48 p.m., authorities reported that the fire’s advance had been halted and that crews had increased firefighting capacity to 45%.
The fire produced smoke that was visible throughout Marin County and San Francisco, as well as Richmond Bay and other parts of the East Bay.
