Ephrata Woman Arrested for Arson After Allegedly Starting Wildfire

An Ephrata woman is facing a 2nd Degree Arson charge after starting allegedly a wildfire Tuesday evening.

Ephrata police say witnesses saw 32-year-old Clintah Hernandez lighting a field next to the Ephrata Gun Club near State Route 282 just before 7:00 pm.

Officers very quickly took Hernandez into custody without incident, reportedly finding several lighters and one blue torch lighter on her person. The police department says Hernandez denied starting the fire and appeared to be talking to voices in her head.

Grant County Fire District 13 estimated the fire at about one acre and said if the blaze had been a little later in the day, when winds were upwards of 40 miles per hour, it would have been a significant incident.