A Santa Maria jury found a Santa Ynez man guilty of unlawfully causing a fire in 2021. Fire investigators testified that 63-year-old Steven Nicholas used a Mag torch to burn weeds on his property on Avenida Caballo without a burn permit. A small fire quickly turned into a 70-acre blaze. Nicolas was a no-show for yesterday’s verdict reading. A no-bail arrest warrant has been issued. He’ll be sentenced when he’s in custody.
