Man arrested on arson charge after Arizona wildfire destroyed 21 homes, caused evacuations
Arizona police arrested a man on a charge of arson in connection with a wildfire that torched 2,000 acres of Native American reservation land, destroying homes, triggering evacuations and leaving dozens of residents unsheltered – one of the latest damaging blazes in the West that police have tied to a suspect.
Keanu Dude, 22, was arrested on a charge of arson by the San Carlos Apache Police Department and the Tribe's game and fish rangers on Tuesday for his alleged role in sparking the so-called Watch Fire. The blaze began on July 10 as a small brush fire but high winds from a thunderstorm caused the flames to rapidly spread in all directions across the San Carlos Apache Reservation, east of Phoenix.
Dude was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, officials said. It remains unclear how exactly the fire was started. Police say the investigation is still active.
"It saddens me deeply that a member of our Tribe has been charged with starting this fire that devastated our community," San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement. "Arson is a senseless act that will never be tolerated under any circumstance. I am thankful for the swift and thorough investigation by tribal and federal law enforcement that has resulted in an arrest."
By July 18, more than a week after it broke out, firefighters had completely contained the blaze. Damage surveys found that it had destroyed 21 homes, forced more than 400 members of the Tribe to evacuate the area and left 73 unsheltered. The Tribe is accepting monetary donations towards rebuilding homes and infrastructure.
"While thankfully no one was injured, many face extreme hardship, losing their homes and all their possessions and were left with only the clothes on their back," Rambler said. "It is imperative that everyone in our Tribe work together to overcome this criminal act and rebuild our community stronger and better than ever."
Police search for suspects they say sparked major wildfire with fireworks
In California, law enforcement in Riverside, a city just 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, are searching for suspects they believe sparked a major wildfire with illegal fireworks.
The so-called Hawarden Fire, which was ignited on Sunday, has forced over 1,500 residents in Riverside from their homes, injured two people, destroyed at least six homes and damaged several others. Officials put damage estimate totals at $11 million and fear that number may grow. As of Thursday morning, the fire had scorched 527 acres of land and was 60% contained.
Authorities said they have video of the culprits and a manhunt was underway. "We will prosecute those responsible for this incident," Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement.
Over 1.4 million acres of land torched in large active wildfires
As of Wednesday, authorities across the West were battling some 88 large active wildfires that have burned more than 1.4 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Rhode Island, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Officials have cited a relentless stretch of searing heat and record-breaking temperatures when discussing this year's active fire season. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said while the number of wildfires is on track with previous years, the number of acres burned has surged – a result he blames on "unprecedented heat."
Nearly 85% of wildland fires in the U.S. are caused by humans, according to the National Park Service, which listed several common causes, including unattended campfires, burning debris, equipment malfunctions, discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson.
Contributing: John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY