Fire fighters walk a section of the Weber County Trailways along the Weber River in Marriott-Slaterville on Wednesday June 16, 2021 as they reveal burn scars left behind and the hazardous conditions that exist. (Aubrey Schäfer, KSL-TV)
OGDEN – Several fire and police departments sought help from the public to find out who was responsible for starting a series of fires along county roads.
The Ogden City Police, Ogden City Fire Department, Riverdale Police Department, Riverdale Fire Department, Weber County Sheriff’s Office and Weber Fire Department issued a joint statement on Wednesday when they “have teamed up for to provide more security ”.
“With record-breaking high temperatures and our current drought conditions, the above authorities are concerned that anyone on the Weber County Trailways, which stretch from Ogden through Riverdale, west to West Haven and Marriott-Slaterville, is not taking fire precautions or deliberately starting fires. “Was the statement. “Please keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, especially those that would start fires along the paths.”
Weber Fire District Fire Department Marshal David Reed said on June 3 that someone, or possibly a group, had started 11 different fires on the trails, resulting in a total of 14 fires.
“Most of us would never do that, you and I – we just wouldn’t,” Reed told KSL TV. “It takes someone with whom something is wrong to start a fire and cause damage and possibly injure someone.”
On Wednesday afternoon, firefighters walked part of the way along the Weber River in Marriott-Slaterville when they showed left burn scars and the dangerous conditions currently in place.
“You see all this cotton – it’s all super dry already, and the fact that it’s cotton season, this stuff is like gasoline,” said Assistant Fire Marshal Jared Taylor.
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About the fires along the Weber County Pathways. # carepreparerespond # weberfiredistrict # webercounty # fires # utahpic.twitter.com / j6ZkjsDwdz
– Weber Fire District (@WeberFireDist) June 16, 2021
Reed said the cotton could easily spread to other areas and start new fires, possibly in neighboring industrial yards and businesses as well.
“It’s extremely dangerous,” said Reed. “It’s like an accelerator.”
Reed hoped his team could track down those responsible before further fires broke out, but he also hoped that anyone recovering on the trails would help them watch out for suspicious behavior or activity.
“This stuff is like gasoline,” said Deputy Fire Brigade Marshal Jared Taylor on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, of cotton from nearby trees. (Photo: Aubrey Schafer, KSL TV)
“Part of the scary thing is what would you do next?” asked he. “What does that lead to? It would be important to get it.”
Reed said people directly observing suspicious behavior or active fires are asked to call 911, while anyone with information about the series of fires should call the tip-off at 801-778-6631.
“Hopefully we can catch someone doing it, or they can stop and stop threatening our citizens and businesses,” said Taylor.
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Andrew Adams
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