Eagle Police detectives are looking for what they describe as a “curly-haired man” who was seen filming a human-caused range fire near North Willow Creek Road on Saturday, July 15.
“Fire investigators say the blaze was set on purpose -– there is evidence the fire was lit on the road and gas was used to move flames from the road to a nearby hillside,” according to an Ada County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The fire burned about thirty acres east of North Willow Creek Road, near North Chantry Way, before crews were able to put it out.
Eagle Fire crews saw smoke from the area just before 5 a.m., as they were fighting another range fire nearby.
A homeowner later told firefighters a man knocked on the house’s door around 5 a.m. to warn of a grass fire nearby.
“When firefighters arrived, they saw a dark-colored SUV parked near the fire. A man sitting inside was filming or taking pictures of the flames, which were about 200 feet away,” the release said. “The man drove away shortly after firefighters arrived. The man drove back by a short time later, and asked if he could go around fire equipment because he needed to go back to Emmett. Firefighters told him he would need to take an alternate route -- and he drove away.”
The man in the SUV is described as possibly in his twenties, with a skinny build, with a dark “afro hairstyle,” the release stated.
Detectives do not have any suspects, but would like to talk to the man.
Anyone with information should call Eagle Police at 938-2260 or send an email to cau@adaweb.net
