Fresno man booked in Monterey County fire on $2 million bail

A 30-year-old Fresno man is being held on $2 million bail in connection to arson charges in a wildfire in Monterey County.

He was identified as Ivan Geronimo Gomez by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dolan Fire near Big Sur had grown to about 2,500 acres as of Wednesday morning and was “actively burning in all directions,” according to a Los Padres National Forest tweet.

The fire ignited about 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest near John Little State Natural Reserve. California State Parks rangers detained the man later identified as Gomez and turned him over to Monterey County detectives, the Monterey Herald reported.

Authorities say the investigation is continuing and that anyone with additional information should contact the sheriff’s investigation division at 831-755-3773.

This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 1:44 PM.