Arson suspect arrested after fire in Gold River burns home, Sacramento Metro Fire says

A man was arrested Friday on suspicion of intentionally setting a house in Gold River ablaze, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

In a news release, Metro Fire officials said John Paul Walters, 40, was taken into custody by Rancho Cordova police and Sacramento County deputies after a house on Discovery Village Lane was set on fire.

The house fire was reported around 5 a.m., when the home’s occupants were alerted by a smoke alarm. They escaped the house and were unharmed, according to fire officials.

Photos taken by Metro Fire show that the home was fully engulfed in flames. Officials say the occupants were displaced from their home as a result. The fire was contained to the one house and did not spread to nearby vegetation.

Records from the Sheriff’s Office indicate that Walters is still in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail with two felony charges of arson pending against him. His bail is set at $150,000.

Fire investigators are asking anyone with information into the house fire to call 916-859-3775.