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U.S. Forest Service
News Release
Media Contact:
Man arrested for starting a fire on Coconino National Forest
Flagstaff, Ariz., April 27, 2016, For Immediate Release —
Forest Service law enforcement officers arrested a Flagstaff man Thursday night for starting a fire on the Coconino National Forest within the city limits of Flagstaff. On April 21 at approximately 10 p.m., a Forest Service law enforcement officer observed the man, later identified
as Shawn P. Farnham, start a fire at the base of Mt. Elden and then turn and run away. The man was stopped and arrested. The case remains under investigation by Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations.
Recently, there have been several suspicious, human-caused fires in the area, which are all still under investigation.
While those fires were contained quickly by firefighting personnel, they were of great concern to area residents and the community since they were all within a quarter of a mile or less from houses, schools, or churches. Forest Service law enforcement officers have been working closely with the Flagstaff Police Department and the Coconino
County Sheriff’s Office to apprehend individuals who put the community and National Forest at risk by starting fires. “The Forest Service and its partners in law enforcement work together to investigate suspicious, human-caused fires,”
said Forest Service Patrol Captain Jon Nelson. “These types of fires not only pose a threat to national forest lands but also to communities and residents.” In addition, there have been numerous other human-caused fires in and around the City of Flagstaff, the surrounding
communities, and the national forest in the last month. All of these fires pose a significant threat to the public, the city, and the forest. These fires are also still under investigation.
As summer approaches, the Forest Service, the Coconino Sheriff’s Office, and the Flagstaff Police Department would
like to remind the public to be fire aware and remember that wildfires can start even if there has been recent moisture in the area. Individuals can help in reducing a common cause of preventable, human-caused fires by completely extinguishing campfires before
leaving camp sites. To be safe, all campfires should be doused and churned with several gallons of water. Large campfires may take up to five gallons or more to fully extinguish.
For additional information on fire conditions or restrictions in the surrounding forest, please contact the Coconino
National Forest.
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