By Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune
Copyright 2006 The Salt Lake Tribune
All Rights Reserved
Utah — Bureau of Land Management officials are seeking restitution for the Jarvis fire that burned more than 50,000 acres in Southern Utah earlier this year at an estimated cost of more than $1 million.
The hefty tab handed to state and local firefighters following the June 25 fire could spell massive restitution amounts placed on nine juveniles and one adult who were formally charged with causing the fire, which took weeks to contain.
The adult, an 18-year-old St. George man, was charged in District Court on Nov. 21 with reckless burning and causing a catastrophe, a Class A misdemeanor as well as violating closed fire season restrictions, according to the BLM.
The juveniles were similarly charged in the Washington County Juvenile Court.
The request for restitution follows a payment of $66,000 in October for costs relating to the 2005 Grapevine fire in Washington County. The Grapevine fire was an accidental human caused fire that burned 29 acres, according to the BLM.