Man Accused of Starting Southern California Fire Sent Out Warning Text to Fire Chief…”The Place is Going to Burn”

BTN STAFF

The fire that started in the Cleveland National Forest’s Holy Jim Canyon in Southern California might had a warning. According to Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Milligan, 71, the suspect, Forrest Gordon Clark, 51 held in connection to the fire, sent him a text before the incident.  “The place is going to burn just like you planned.” is what Milligan said Forrest Clark text to his phone, two weeks ago. Prior to the text, Milligan came to his house to return some items he “borrowed” from the fire department.

“I said ‘I want nothing to do with you, Forrest. Just go,'” Milligan said. “He was being gentlemanly in the beginning and turned and then swore at me and turned and left and was quoting the Bible. Later, he came back and told me what a jerk I was and everyone was after him.”

Milligan also said he was trying to tell people Clark was a dangerous man. “I’ve been trying for years to get someone to pay attention and nobody has really had the opportunity to do that until now,” he said. Clark, 51, is being held on $1 million dollar bail on charges of aggravated arson, arson of inhabited property, arson of forest, criminal threats, two counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer and arson burning multiple structures. The charges could mean that Clark could face life in prison

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