The hunter who pleaded guilty to starting the devastating 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego will be sentenced today. Sergio Martinez faces a maximum of five years in prison. KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma has more.
Defense lawyers say Martinez started a small signal fire after he got separated from his hunting partner in the Cleveland
National Forest in October 2003.
The lawyers say Martinez was an inexperienced hunter. He broke his prescription glasses and thought he was going to die. But authorities say when they rescued him, he wasn't dehydrated, he joked with them and they found a pot pipe near his canteen.
Still, Tish Martin, whose property was damaged by the fire believes Martinez is not to blame.
Martin: "He may have been responsible for starting the small signal fire but emergency and fire response agencies let everyone down."
The blaze killed 15 people, burned down 2,400 homes and caused nearly a billion dollars in damage. Amita Sharma, KPBS News.
