OAKHURST— CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Investigators, in conjunction with the Madera County Sheriff’s Department and Madera County District Attorney’s Office, have arrested Pao Xiong. Xiong was arrested for igniting approximately 14 separate fires, including multiple structures that occurred on Deadwood Mountain in Oakhurst, CA. The fires occurred on Friday, July 19, 2024, beginning at approximately 10:43 PM. For more details about the fires, see our article published here.
View of the fires from the AlertCalifornia wildfire camera located on the top of Deadwood Mountain at 11:02 pm.
The Investigation
Throughout the investigation, CAL FIRE Law Enforcement and Madera County Sheriff’s Department were aware Xiong had left the Oakhurst area after the fires occurred on Friday, July 19, 2024. Throughout the entire investigation, public safety was the primary concern for all Law Enforcement involved
According to the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, in support of CAL FIRE’s initial investigation, the Madera County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team (MADSET), along with the Madera County Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET), assigned detectives to assist in the identification of the person responsible for these fires. As the investigation progressed and evidence was analyzed, investigators identified Mr. Xiong as a primary person of interest in the fires.
Surveillance
Following this development, he was placed under surveillance. This was to assure that he did not return to the property or further endanger the residents living in the area. Investigators from both agencies worked collaboratively to monitor the suspect and further analyze evidence related to this case.
The Arrest
On August 22, 2024, investigators from the Madera Sheriff’s Office and CAL FIRE arrested Mr. Xiong, a resident of Oakhurst for approximately the past eight years, at a residence in the 1600 block of South Bush Avenue in the city of Fresno. He was booked at the Madera County Jail on fourteen (14) felony counts of arson. The investigation report has been referred to the Madera County District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff Tyson Pogue.
Madera County Sheriff Pogue states, “We would like to applaud the cooperative effort between investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and CAL FIRE, as well as the diligent work conducted at the initial crime scene.”
He continued, “It is my great honor to assure the residents of Deadwood that they should sleep well tonight knowing this suspect is in custody.”
Madera County Sheriff’s Office and CAL FIRE remain vigorously committed to pursuing the arrest and prosecution of anyone who purposefully sets fire in the County of Madera.
CAL FIRE would like to take this opportunity to remind the public, crimes of this nature take significant time, not only for the arrest, but for the evidence collection and processing. CAL FIRE would like to thank the public for their support and patience during this joint comprehensive investigation between CAL FIRE Law Enforcement, Madera County Sheriffs Department, Madera County District Attorney’s Office and California Department Of Justice Bureau Of Forensic Services.
