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MONDAY, JULY 1, 2002

A Bureau of Indian Affairs contract firefighter was indicted on federal charges this weekend for allegedly starting a blaze which has blossomed into the worst fire in Arizona's history.

Leonard Gregg, a resident of the Fort Apache Reservation, was arrested on Saturday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Stephen L. Verkamp yesterday morning. The 29-year-old seasonal firefighter faces two counts for allegedly starting two fires, one of which was put out quickly, on June 18.

The other, the Rodeo Fire, merged with the Chediski Fire last week and has jointly consumed more than 450,000 acres. Half of the charred land is on the reservation, home to the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Arizona, Gregg "willfully ignited" the fires. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.

Documents filed in federal court allege Gregg admitted to investigators that he started the two blazes in part because he was looking for work. At a press conference in Flagstaff, U.S. Attorney Paul K. Charlton said the motive was "profit."

"There is evidence that he started the fire so as to earn money as a contract firefighter," he said.

The case is being handled by assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph C. Welty and Vincent Q. Kirby. A status hearing before Verkamp, who yesterday advised Gregg not to admit responsibility, is set for Wednesday.

The charges came after a joint task force of state, federal and tribal authorities investigated the fire. The U.S. Attorneys office declined to state how the panel centered on Gregg, who was interviewed on Saturday just before his arrest, but court papers pointed to remarks he made to a friend about his alleged involvement.

With the arrest, Gregg becomes the second person charged in connection with devastating fires in the West. U.S. Forest Service employee Terry Lynn Barton is accused of setting the 137,000-acre Hayman fire in Colorado while a third person is wanted in connection with the Chediski blaze.

Gregg is also the second person brought in for reservation arson this season. A task force investigation in New Mexico led to charges against an employee of the Mescalero Apache Tribe for blazes there.

As for Fort Apache, the fire has wrecked the tribal economy. The tribe was forced to shut down its casino and timber businesses, the lifeblood of a community where unemployment is as high as 60 percent.

The tribe's $30 million forestry business will be hurt for years to come. Over 500 buildings also have been destroyed.

The reservation was declared a disaster area by President Bush, making it eligible for federal funding. At a Senate hearing last week, lawmakers urged Department of Interior officials to help the tribe recover when the fire, which is about 35 contained, is finally put out.

"We need help from Mother Earth and God," Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Officials did not state if Gregg was a member of a federally recognized tribe. Gregg is charged under Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1855, which applies to lands owned by the federal government or held in trust for tribes or individual Indians.

Relevant Documents:
Gregg Criminal Complaint (6/30)

Related Stories:
Ariz. fire burning reservation (6/28)
Ariz. fire fuels racial animosity (6/27)
Ariz. reservation declared a disaster (6/26)
Apache community saved from flames (6/25)
Ariz. fire forces thousands to flee (6/24)
Ariz. wildfire rages on (6/21)