A man has been arrested and charged with arson after allegedly igniting a wildfire in southwestern Arizona over the weekend, authorities said.
Jason Bradley Martin, 47, was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on Saturday on charges of reckless burning, arson of structure/property, criminal damage, burn wildlands violated order, and endangerment, according to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to a report of a large fire burning near Yuma, on the Arizona side of the Colorado River along the border with California, shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, along with multiple fire departments and federal agencies. Deputies arrived to find the fire had already burned "several" wildland acres of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.
The sheriff's office said initial investigation indicated the fire was caused by arson, and Martin was identified as the suspect.
In the latest update Sunday evening, the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge said the fire had burned 1,226 acres of vegetation, and was 20% contained. Fire crews including some 130 total personnel had stopped the progression of the fire toward the north and south, but the fire continued to burn east.
The arson case remains under investigation. The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information to come forward or submit an anonymous tip.
--with reporting by TMX
