Officials: Arson cause of BLM land fires

Fire officials for the Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office have determined that at least two grass fires last week on BLM land were acts of arson. Ty Bryson, BLM Carlsbad Field Office fire management officer, said evidence shows that two fires near Werewolf Hill, west of town, and south of town near the airport were deliberately set by a person or persons. "We had a rash of fires last week that kept local fire crews busy with suppression activities," said Bryson. "All of these were human-caused from either welding, trash burning or deliberately ignited." He said the BLM conducts an investigation of any fire on public lands where the source of ignition indicates it was human-caused and there is evidence of negligence or intent. For human-caused fires where negligence or intent can be established, the agency will take action to recover the cost of fire suppression activities, emergency stabilization, rehabilitation of the land and damages to the resources improvements...Carlsbad Current-Argus