Posted on 04/18/2014 1:30:06 PM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — After a number of small suspicious fires erupted in and around the Sierra Vista area over the last 24 hours, local fire officials have requested assistance from state fire investigators to determine if there is any connection between them.
One of the fires occurred at about midnight Thursday in the lower area of Ramsey Canyon, near the trail head for Brown Canyon, said Fry Fire Chief Bill Miller.
The fire was extinguished after burning less than an acre.
On Wednesday afternoon, Palominas Fire District personnel responded to a brush fire in the area of Highway 92 and Kings Ranch Road.
Supported by Fry Fire crews, the fire was contained to the roadside area, though conditions were such that it could have spread much farther.
“There was a lot of potential to spread. There was a graded road that actually stopped the fire,” Miller said.
The cause of the fire is currently thought to be accidental, Interim Palominas Fire Chief Steve Abel said in a statement.
In addition to these two incidents, three other small fires were reported inside Sierra Vista city limits within an hour Wednesday night.
The first occurred in the front yard of a house in the 3800 block of Sparrow Drive at 9:44 p.m.
While the initial call was for a structure fire, when a fire battalion chief arrived on the scene he found that the fire was limited to the front yard and had already been extinguished by a neighbor, said Sierra Vista Fire Marshal Paul Cimino.
The same neighbor reported seeing someone discard a cigarette in the area.
A fire engine did remain on the scene to ensure there were no burning embers or hot spots.
Just moments later, fire crews were sent to the intersection of Wilcox Drive and Lenzner Avenue for a small brush fire on the side of the road.
“No obvious source of ignition was found,” Cimino said, adding that the fire has been deemed suspicious.
Finally, at 10:09 p.m., a fire was reported in a field across the street from Joyce Clark Middle School on Lenzner Avenue.
The slow-moving fire was contained by fire crews to about 2,000 square feet.
Police were informed that a janitor for the school reported seeing a white pickup truck in the field prior to the fire, Cimino said.
All of these fires were less than an acre in size, and due to the number of fires happening within such a short span of time, investigators from the Arizona State Forestry Division to see if there is any possible connection between them, Miller said.
“We also want to know if anybody has any information on any of these fires,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact either the Sierra Vista Police Department at 452-7500 or the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office at 432-9500.
probably a “Mexican” firebug named Mohammed Lopez.
I had a fire in brown canyon after una grande comida.
A number of reasons to thank God for the rain today.
Is the Brown Canyon fire extinguished? Looked like it rained pretty good in the Huachucas.
I suspect we’ll know for sure tomorrow.
Thanks for the update. Hopefully it will be finished today.
Investigation of Brown Fire centers on Mexican nationals
Mexican nationals? So not surprised.
There was a fire in the Elgin side of the Mustang Mountains this afternoon. Appears to be contained. Might have been lightening strike as we had a doozy of a storm. Hail stones almost a half inch in diameter at my house.
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