Firefighter Convicted Of Setting Califiornia Fires

WOODLAND, Calif. --

A reserve firefighter has been found guilty of intentionally starting wildfires that he later battled.

Robert Eric Eason, 30, was convicted of 14 counts of arson.

Eason was accused of setting a series of 16 wildland fires in the Capay Valley from 2005 to 2006, the district attorney's office said.

Many of the fires caused considerable damage to farmland and livestock, including one blaze that killed several hundred sheep.

A jury reached its verdict after just one day of deliberation.

Eason faces up to 50 years in prison.

Copyright 2008 by KCRA.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.