Plumas County resident accused of setting fire that threatened Gold Rush town
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Authorities in Plumas County have arrested a 36-year-old Quincy resident on suspicion of starting several fires in the surrounding forest, including one blaze that threatened homes, officials said.
Jeffery Cameron Schmidt was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of setting the Minerva fire on July 29 about three miles southwest of Quincy, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office said.
For the record:
6:23 p.m. Feb. 17, 2025A previous version of this article said that Schmidt had been freed on bail. He remains in custody.
The Minerva fire burned for more than two weeks and chewed through 4,310 acres of the Plumas National Forest, authorities said. The flames spread dangerously close to Schmidt’s own town of Quincy in the fire’s first days.
More than 1,800 firefighters were brought in to fight the blaze in the Gold Rush town, in an area with a population of about 4,200 and buildings dating back to the 19th century.
After the town was saved, the marquee at the local movie theater read, “THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS,” and thank you posters printed in the Feather River Bulletin newspaper hung in business and home windows. A church sign asked God to bless the firefighters.
Schmidt remains in custody.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
Staff writer Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report.
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