Arizona authorities have arrested a man in connection with a wildfire. They have charged him with arson for allegedly setting a fire on Native American reservation land. The wildfire burned up more than 2,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes. It triggered mass evacuations with several people now homeless as a result.
Police arrested 22-year-old Keanu Dude for the crime. The San Carlos Apache Police Department and the Tribe's game and fish rangers confirmed the young man's alleged role in sparking the Watch Fire wildfire. The fire began on July 10, starting as a tiny brush fire. However, a thunderstorm caused the inferno to rapidly grow due to high winds.
According to officials, Dude is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. At this time, police are still investigating exactly how the blaze started.
Wildfire Burns Down Homes
"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."
It took firefighters more than a week to completely contain the fire. According to officials, the wildfire burned down 21 homes. In total, 400 people evacuated. Currently, 73 people also don't have a home to go back to. Right now, The Tribe is accepting donations to help those affected by the blaze.
"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."
Meanwhile, authorities are still searching for suspects in California from illegal fireworks. That wildfire burned through 527 acres and caused $11 million in damages. "We will prosecute those responsible for this incident," Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement of that crime. Wildfires devastate both communities as well as the natural environment.
