A 30-year-old Sonora man who told sheriff's detectives he once spent a decade as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter is now facing felony arson charges after admitting he dropped a lit cigarette into dry grass along Highway 108, igniting a blaze that tore through the edge of downtown Sonora, destroyed a home and injured two wildland firefighters. Jacob Hoskins was arraigned in Tuolumne County Superior Court on July 29, with a judge denying him bail as prosecutors argued against his release.
From a Cigarette to a 223-Acre Fire
The Dove Fire ignited on July 26 in the greater downtown area of Sonora and burned roughly 223 acres of vegetation, according to a CAL FIRE news release. The fire ultimately damaged or destroyed 14 structures near downtown Sonora — a single-family home, two commercial properties and nine minor structures destroyed, with two more damaged — and left two wildland firefighters injured, according to myMotherLode.com. At its peak, the fire forced mandatory evacuation orders for more than 600 homes and evacuation warnings for over 1,400 residents across Sonora and Jamestown, closing Highway 108 and prompting emergency human and animal shelters, per KCRA.
CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrested Hoskins, of Sonora, on Sunday, July 26, identifying him as the suspect responsible for causing the fire following what the agency described as an extensive investigation. The arrest was a collaborative effort involving the CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras and Madera-Marilyosa-Merced Unit Law Enforcement Bureaus, the Sonora Police Department and the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office.
A Straw Hat Gave Him Away
Investigators leaned heavily on the public to crack the case. Deputies located Hoskins at Rotary Park in Sonora wearing the same distinctive straw hat and clothing visible in citizen photos and videos taken near the fire's origin, the same account from the same outlet's report indicates. CAL FIRE thanked the community for providing tips that helped lead to the arrest, and the agency's arson hotline allows callers to remain anonymous.
During interviews with sheriff's detectives, Hoskins reportedly said he had previously worked as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter for ten years, admitted dropping a lit cigarette into dry grass along the highway, and said he was aware of dry fuels left behind by the 2021 Washington Fire before fleeing as flames spread, per the same report. That 2021 fire had burned more than 100 acres along the same Highway 108 corridor, causing structural damage and evacuations while leaving behind dead brush and wood fuel that investigators say fed the new blaze.
Charges Escalate From Reckless Burning to Felony Arson
CAL FIRE initially booked Hoskins on a single charge of California Penal Code § 452(c), recklessly causing a fire. Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke later announced that prosecutors filed one count of arson and one count of recklessly causing a fire against Hoskins in Tuolumne County Superior Court, formally elevating the case beyond CAL FIRE's initial booking charge.
The distinction carries significant legal weight. Under Penal Code § 452(c), recklessly causing a fire to forest land is a wobbler offense punishable by up to three years in state prison or up to six months in county jail, according to the Inland Empire Criminal Defense. Felony arson under Penal Code § 451, by contrast, carries state prison terms of up to nine years. At Hoskins's arraignment, his public defender secured a continuance to August 7, when a plea is expected to be entered.
State and County Emergency Declarations
The scale of the fire prompted action well beyond the courtroom. Governor Gavin Newsom announced on July 26 that California had obtained a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant to cover up to 75% of emergency suppression costs, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors followed with a local state of emergency declaration on July 28.
CAL FIRE law enforcement officers, who are POST-certified peace officers with authority to execute search warrants and make arrests, have made 84 arson arrests through July 2026, with those figures updated monthly. That total follows 151 arson arrests in 2025, 152 in 2024, 111 in 2023 and 162 in 2022, according to CAL FIRE statistics. Anyone with information about a fire's cause is encouraged to call the CAL FIRE Arson Hotline at (800) 468-4408, where tips can lead to payouts of up to $10,000 or more in wildland arson convictions and callers may remain anonymous.
Whether Hoskins will enter a plea at his continued arraignment hearing remains an open question heading into next Friday's proceeding. Also unresolved is the final restitution assessment for the 14 damaged and destroyed structures near downtown Sonora.
