Julia Harper to appear in court today

The woman accused of setting a house fire that critically injured Fresno Fire Captain Pete Dern is scheduled to be in court today.

Julia Harper, 52, will be arraigned this afternoon on charges of arson and unlawful fire causing great bodily injury. Police say she has admitted to starting the fire.

Investigators aren’t releasing many details into how it happened. If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison.

In the meantime, Captain Dern continues to recover. He received burns to over 70% of his body after falling through the roof of the burning garage. He undergoes several surgeries a week.