Suspect accused of lighting American flag on fire that sparked a wildfire that destroyed 2,000 acres and 21 homes
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a wildfire that destroyed thousands of acres of tribal land in Arizona earlier this month.
Officials arrested Keanu Dude on Tuesday for arson charges in connection to the Watch Fire, which scorched more than 2,000 acres of San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation land, Arizona Family reports. Dude has been connected to a burning of an American flag just before the fire sparked, San Carlos Apache Tribe Police Chief Elliot Sneezy told the outlet.
No injuries or deaths were reported, but the blaze destroyed 21 houses and 13 other buildings, leaving more than 70 people without homes. Many of the homes destroyed were passed down over several generations. The wildfire also knocked out power lines, leaving many without electricity for over a week.
Dude has a criminal record, including charges for assault and domestic violence, officials told the Arizona Family.
“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 told Arizona Family.
“Arson is a senseless act that will never be tolerated under any circumstance,” he continued. “I am thankful for the swift and thorough investigation by tribal and federal law enforcement that has resulted in an arrest.
The fire, which sparked on July 10 and was contained by July 17, devastated the community.
“I lost my house, I lost my cars,” resident Sheila Patton told Arizona Family earlier this month. “I lost my neighbors, everywhere in the neighborhood. It’s just gone. I couldn’t believe this fire took everybody’s house. We don’t know what to do, where we’re going to go now. Just heartbreaking.”
Sneezy said he plays the disastrous blaze “over and over” in his mind.
“And I think the best things I was hoping for is that nobody died,” Sneezy told the Arizona Family. “Sure enough, nobody did die.”
“It was saddening to me that a community member is the person responsible for this horrific act,” he continued.
