Man arrested on suspicion of starting Flora Fire east of Healdsburg. Cal Fire says he drove more than 4 miles without a tire

A Redding-area man has been arrested in connection with Wednesday’s Flora Fire outside Healdsburg and Windsor, which Cal Fire says he started by driving his truck more than four miles without a right front tire.

The state fire agency alleges Justin Roy Jones, 44, of Anderson, started the fire by allowing metal, apparently from his wheel, to grind against the asphalt on Chalk Hill Road east of Healdsburg.

The friction caused sparks that ignited three separate fires along the east side of Chalk Hill Road that eventually burned about 36 acres, Cal Fire spokesman Jason Clay said. (Cal Fire earlier said the fire reached about 50 acres but revised that figure after better mapping of the scar.)

The blaze, which was 50% contained as of Thursday morning, was driven by a stiff wind and threatened multiple structures before its forward progress was halted, Cal Fire said.

Jones was on probation for an unknown crime when he was arrested in the aftermath of 4:41 p.m. fire, Cal Fire said.

Jones was arrested for suspicion of unlawfully and recklessly starting a fire and for violation of his probation, Cal Fire said.

He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for the fire starting offense, a felony, as well as for felony receipt of stolen property, misdemeanor possession of brass knuckles and two misdemeanor counts of possessing another person’s identifying information with the intent to cause fraud, according to jail records.

Jones is the latest of several arrests related to recent wildfires in what’s become a dangerous wildfire year, thanks in part to abundant growth of wild grasses in spring and warm temperatures that have baked the landscape.

Jones was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail. He was scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan (she/her) at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @MaryCallahanB.