Kelseyville man sentenced to 90 days in jail for starting Oak fire

A Kelseyville man arrested in September on suspicion of sparking a 53-acre vegetation fire while using equipment was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in jail, Cal Fire said.

The sentence comes after Jody Hickey, 39, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of causing a fire by a careless or negligent action, Cal Fire said in a prepared statement. Officials said Hickey ignited the blaze by welding and grinding in dry grass.

In addition to his jail sentence, Hickey was sentenced to three years of probation.

The Oak fire started Sept. 7 near Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville and prompted authorities to evacuate 300 residents. Highway 29 was also closed for several hours as firefighters tackled the blaze, which they fully contained the next morning.

“If you live in a wildland area you need to use all equipment responsibly,” Shana Jones, chief of Cal Fire’s Sonoma- Lake-?Napa Unit, said in the statement. “Lawn mowers, weed-?eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors and trimmers can all spark a wildland fire. Do your part the right way to keep your community fire safe.”

You can reach Staff Writer Chantelle Lee at 707-521-5337 or chantelle.lee@pressdemocrat.com.

On Twitter @ChantelleHLee.