A 30-year-old man will be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to arson charges stemming from a vegetation fire in March at Hollister Ranch, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Edward Junior Macklin entered the plea Oct. 12 before Judge Von Deroian in Superior Court in Lompoc.
Macklin was accused of setting a fire that broke out March 12 on Hollister Ranch, the remote rural neighborhood west of Gaviota State Beach.
The difficult-to-access blaze blackened 120 acres between Cuarta Canyon and Alegria Canyon, and at one point prompted the evacuation of about 30 homes.
Macklin pleaded guilty to a single felony county of arson of a structure or forest.
He is expected to be sentenced to about a year behind bars, plus another five years of probation, according to District Attorney Joyce Dudley.
Macklin could face another five years in jail should he commit any addition crimes or violate the terms of his probation, Dudley said.
He also will be required to register as an arsonist.
Macklin is due back in court on Oct. 26 for sentencing.
He remained in custody Monday night at the Santa Barbara County Jail, with bail set at $75,000.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.