This clump of trees was burning out of control near Wallace Canyon on Thursday afternoon, but there were no fire crews nearby (Sept. 18, 2014).

Advertisement Pollock Pines man accused of arson in massive King Fire Wildfire is still 5% contained Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A 37-year-old man has been charged with deliberately starting a wildfire in El Dorado County that has shown explosive growth and driven about 3,000 people from their homes.Wayne Allen Huntsman was booked Wednesday into the El Dorado County Jail on one count of arson of forest land for willfully and maliciously setting a fire, according to a criminal complaint filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office.Get live updates on the King Fire from KCRA 3's reporters in the fieldHuntsman also faces a special allegation of arson with aggravating factors because the blaze near the community of Pollock Pines put a dozen firefighters in serious danger, forcing them to deploy fire shields. The firefighters all escaped unharmed.Watch report: Arrest made in King Fire burning in El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson declined to say what led investigators to Huntsman, who is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.He also would not comment on a possible motive in the case, saying the investigation is ongoing."It's something that's evolving at this point," Pierson said.Huntsman is held on $10 million bond. He has a criminal past, according to the criminal complaint.Huntsman was previously convicted of possession of stolen property, grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon. Those cases took place in Santa Cruz and Plumas counties.Authorities said the investigation into the fire -- which had burned more than 73,000 acres as of Thursday evening -- began within minutes of the initial fire call on Saturday.Investigators said the blaze started in a remote area but rapidly grew on Sunday when it reached a canyon full of thick, dry brush.The so-called King Fire is threatening more than 2,000 homes in the Pollock Pines area. It has consumed tens of thousands of additional acres, fire officials said. The blaze made a 15-mile run on Wednesday.Also, Silver Fork Elementary School will be closed Friday due to the fire. This comes under the advisement of the Emergency Operations Center.Students will not be taken to other school sites in the district for classes. The district remains in close contact with incident command and the Office of Emergency Services. More than 3,600 firefighters are battling the fire, which is costing $5 million a day to fight."It is extreme fire behavior," said Michelle Eidam, a captain with the Sacramento Fire Department who was helping with the blaze. "All bets are off right now because this fire is so volatile."The fire is 10 percent contained.For the second time this week, Highway 50 was shut down just east of Pollock Pines as crews continued to establish fire lines in an effort to stop the fire from jumping the highway.The closure came Thursday morning and remains in effect this afternoon.More coverage: How's the King Fire smoke impacting air quality?The forecast for Thursday and into Friday includes lighter but still erratic winds, said Mark Finan, KCRA 3's chief meteorologist.The winds won't be as intense as they were Wednesday. They are, however, still shifting in direction, which could continue to complicate the fire fight.Thursday brought cooler temperatures and higher humidity, which helped fire crews to slow the King Fire's progress. But the conditions aren't expected to last long, Finan said.After Thursday, temps will warm up into the 70s and 80s in the foothills.The humidity won't stick around, either.It's unlikely we'll see fire growth again like crews did on Wednesday, Finan added.Sacramento region air quality forecastGov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency late Wednesday, freeing up funds for the King Fire and the Boles Fire, the latter of which burned hundreds of homes in Siskiyou County earlier this week. It's now under control.Brown also secured federal grants to help pay for the fires.Photos: Must-see photos of Pollock Pines fire | Upload your photos to u localCal Fire officials said Thursday that mandatory closures for homes south of Highway 50 between Fresh Pond and Riverton were changed to a voluntary advisory.Mandatory evacuation orders are still in effect for the following areas, according to Cal Fire: Crystal Basin: Granite Springs, Ice House Road (east side), Pickett Pen Road, Rubicon Trail, Windmiller Trail, Wrights Lake Road, including all Forest Service roads, trails, and access roads in the Crystal Basin recreation area between Ice House Road and Desolation Wilderness, north of the Highway 50 corridor. Ice House Reservoir, Loon Lake, Rockbound Lake, and Rubicon Reservoir.To see a full list of mandatory/voluntary evacuations and road closures, visit the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department incident page. So far, no homes have been destroyed by the King Fire.The public can call 530-642-7263 for the latest information and response on the King Fire.--Inside KCRA.com:Photos from the fire lines: Crews battle King FireShocking photos show destruction caused by Weed fire