A Santa Ynez man was convicted by a jury Wednesday for arson in connection to the 2021 Caballo Fire, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced.
Steven Randall Nicholas, 64, was found guilty of unlawfully causing a fire, according to the press release.
The conviction was related to the Caballo Fire that broke out on September 6, 2021.
Officials said the fire started when Nicholas was using a Mag torch to burn weeds on his property without a burn permit.
"The burn became uncontrollable and burned 70 acres of forest land", threatening 14 different properties in the Santa Ynez Valley, the release wrote.
Nicholas now faces three years in state prison.
