Flagstaff police arrested a man accused of recklessly starting fires as firefighters worked to contain wildfires in other parts of the state.
Emergency personnel responded to a small wildland fire near the northbound off-ramp of Interstate 17 at JW Powell Boulevard near the Pulliam Airport exit around 11:20 a.m., May 15, said Sgt. Jerry Rintala, a Flagstaff police spokesperson.
Rintala said fire personnel learned the fire had started near the street across from a gas station, where witnesses reported a man, identified as Raymond Glover Jr. He was the only person present when the fire first began to spread, Rintala confirmed.
Witnesses reported seeing Glover watch the fire for several minutes before entering the gas station’s convenience store to purchase food. Glover went outside to continue watching the fire and told a witness that he had started it. However, Rintala said, Glover later told police that he had been drinking and made the admission as a joke.
Officers found evidence linking Glover to two additional fires as well — one at 9 p.m. May 14 behind a Red Lobster, located near I-17 and McConnell Drive, and another started at 4 a.m. May 15 near the southbound off-ramp of I-17 at JW Powell Boulevard, Rintala said.
Glover was in police custody and faced charges related to reckless burning as of May 16. It was not immediately clear when his next court date would be.
“Wildland fires can escalate quickly and threaten public safety, property, and natural resources,” Rintala said, reminding the public about the extreme fire danger in northern Arizona, particularly during dry and windy conditions.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flagstaff man arrested in connection with starting 3 wildland fires
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