By Charlie Frago
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Copyright 2006 Little Rock Newspapers, Inc.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A 17-year-old boy was arrested Monday in connection with a fire that burned nearly 4,000 acres of timber in Ashley County earlier this year.
Joel Holland will be charged as an adult with two felonies - arson and unlawful burning, said John Murphy, an investigator with the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
During questioning by Ashley County deputies, Holland confessed to setting the fires, Murphy said.
“He didn’t give a reason,” Murphy said, and added that Holland apparently acted alone.
A three-week joint investigation by the Forestry Commission and the sheriff’s office netted the arrest. Holland had bragged to some acquaintances about setting the fire on Jan. 8, Murphy said. High wind gusting up to 40 miles per hour blew the fire across highways south of Hamburg, burning 3,700 acres before being contained.
More than 170 people, including personnel from 17 rural fire departments battled the fire. Air tanker planes dropped about 1,000 gallons of water on the blaze, which was contained in about 24 hours.
No one was injured and only one house was lost, but nearly 3,300 acres of pine plantations owned by Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. were destroyed.
Plum Creek officials did not return phone calls Monday. In April, company officials said they had replanted about 2,200 acres with loblolly pine seedlings from the company’s nursery in Pearl, Miss.
An Ashley County jailer confirmed that Holland was in custody Monday night. Bail information was not available.