CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers make an Arrest, Trucker Operated the Vehicle with a Flat Tire more than 70 miles before he noticed a FIRE!

Yreka, CA –At approximately 4:30 A.M. on August 18, 2023, CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers were dispatched to a commercial vehicle fire on Interstate 5 near Sweetbriar Avenue in Castella. CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrived at scene and conducted an investigation to determine origin and cause of the fire. CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers, arrested Dion Connoyer, age 65 from Georgia. Connoyer told officers he knowingly operated the vehicle with a flat tire, at highway speeds for more than 70 miles before he noticed a fire near the rear of the trailer. Connoyer was arrested and booked into Shasta County Jail for one felony count of recklessly causing a fire to forest lands.
CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE: 452(c) -Felony
CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers work diligently to investigate all fires and apprehend those suspected of starting fires. Fires continue to pose a major threat to life, property, and our state’s natural resources. CAL FIRE urges the public to be vigilant in their preparedness and aware of suspicious activity.
CAL FIRE would like to thank California Highway Patrol, and Dunsmuir Castella Fire Department for their assistance.
For more information on how you can be prepared for a Wildfire, visit