Authorities in Utah have taken a juvenile suspect into custody on suspicion of starting four wildfires burning southeast of Salt Lake City.
The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Department announced on Tuesday that it had detained a minor, who is believed to be responsible for the fires. The department said it was notified of “suspicious activity” by residents who spotted the suspect. The department believes the juvenile “acted alone” in the alleged crimes.
The largest fire, which has been named the Saddle Fire, has consumed 630 acres and was only 15% contained as of Wednesday morning. Three other fires had started near the areas of Midway, Interlaken, and Pine Canyon within the past week. Several homes had to be evacuated because of the blaze.
“We have firefighters that have put their lives in danger on that mountain today and a hundred lives or more have been in danger today because a juvenile chose to do something like this,” Janet Carson, a spokesperson for the Wasatch Fire District, told FOX13. “This is pretty serious, this is not just a game.”
While the investigation is ongoing, the juvenile’s family could be saddled with the cost of fighting the blaze and any damage that was caused if he or she is found guilty.
The Saddle Fire has been burning since around 12:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The dry month of April and high winds have made the flames difficult to contain.
