Grover Beach Man Admits to Starting Hollister Fire in Santa Barbara County

Edward Macklin, 30, of Grover Beach pleaded guilty in Lompoc Superior Court on October 12 to setting the Hollister Fire, which blazed up earlier this year on March 12. Macklin was found walking away from the area of the fire by a Hollister Ranch resident not long after the fire started. The fire burned more than 120 acres of the ranch, injuring two firefighters, before being contained within the week. Macklin must register as an arsonist and the conviction is a strike offense. His sentencing date is October 26.

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