Lake County Leader
LAKE COUNTY, Mont. — Phillip “Cody” Haynes, a wildland firefighter for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, told investigators he had started seven forest fires in the past three years, according to Lake County Prosecutor Steve Eschenbacher.
Haynes, who was charged with felony arson, appeared before District Court Judge Deborah K. Christopher March 19 for arraignment where Haynes requested legal counsel. Haynes is to be arraigned March 26.
Haynes did not admit to the alleged crimes until a CSKT fire investigator, two other CSKT firemen and a Lake County sheriff’s detective convinced him to confess.
According to court documents, Haynes took responsibility for setting several fires last year: the South Finley fire on July 28, the Saddle Mountain Fire on Aug. 18, the Hammer Fire on Aug. 25, as well as the Arlee Pines fire on July 17, 2013, and the Firestone Fire in July 2013.
The investigation into Haynes started when another CSKT firefighter that Haynes confessed to approached CSK Tribal Fire Investigator Devlin Lafrombois, according to court records.
Haynes told the anonymous tipper that he and a second CSKT firefighter set three 2014 fires.
In October 2014, Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Woods followed up the tip with an investigation, court records said.
The second accused firefighter admitted no involvement, according to a court affidavit. But he implicated Haynes.
Haynes later made the admissions, court records said.
Lafrombois confirmed that Haynes was a suspect in a few of the fires before the informant offered testimony, court records said.
The Firestone Flats fire northeast of Arlee erupted into a wildfire over 1,000 acres, causing families to be evacuated from their homes in Jocko Canyon.
Flames and smoke filled the Jocko Valley as the Firestone Flats fire blazed, growing to 1,750 acres. About 365 people fought the Firestone Flats fire.
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