Arson Suspect May Serve 18 Months in Plea Deal
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The woman accused of starting a fire that blackened more than 150,000 acres of the Sequoia National Forest last summer would spend 18 months in prison under a plea agreement filed Friday in U.S. District Court.
Peri Dare Van Brunt is scheduled to enter guilty pleas Monday to three federal misdemeanors, each with a maximum sentence of six months.
The so-called McNally fire was the worst in the park’s history. It reportedly began after a campfire started by Van Brunt, who was cooking hot dogs, blew out of control. In addition to 150,696 acres of forest, the six-week blaze destroyed three homes, five commercial properties and six outbuildings.
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