Arizona Firefighter Charged With Deliberately Setting Wildfire

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 01, 2002

Arizona Firefighter Charged With Deliberately Setting Wildfire

A firefighter in the U.S. western state of Arizona was charged Sunday with intentionally igniting a monster wildfire, the worst in the state's history, "with a profit motive."

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A firefighter in the U.S. western state of Arizona was charged Sunday with intentionally igniting a monster wildfire, the worst in the state's history, "with a profit motive."

At a court hearing held in Flagstaff, about 140 miles (224 kilometers) north of Phoenix, prosecutors said that Leonard Gregg,29, had admitted to having set the fire on June 18 near the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in a bid to make money fighting the flames. He worked part-time as a firefighter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

"This fire was started with a profit motive behind it," U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton was quoted by wire reports as saying.

In the court, tired-looking Gregg apologized for his acts: "I'msorry for what I did."

Gregg was among the first team of firefighters called to fight the fire, which late merged with another fire caused by a lost hiker signaling a helicopter to become the worst wildfire in Arizona's history.

The fire has destroyed more than 400 homes and 452,000 acres (about 183,000 hectares) of forest. Over 40,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the past two weeks.

If convicted, Gregg could face 10 years in prison and be fined 500,000 U.S. dollars.

Local fire officials were shocked and upset by Gregg's motive of setting the fire to seek own benefits, calling the case "gut-wrenching." "It causes a lot of angst and heartburn and questioning," fire spokesman Jim Paxon said in Show Low.

The monster fire was about 35 percent contained as of Sunday after firefighters dug fire lines near the town of Show Low, whichwas at the center of the fire in eastern Arizona.

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