18-Year-Old Firefighter Charged With String Of Arizona Arsons

As particularly destructive wildfires impact much of the Southwestern United States amid an ongoing drought, authorities in Arizona say a string of blazes across Yavapai and Coconino counties were the result of one arsonist — who happened to be employed as a local firefighter.

Reports indicate at least eight fires were reported throughout the area since June 15 and investigators soon began to investigate them as intentional incidents.

Shortly after the probe began, deputies from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office questioned 18-year-old firefighter Karson Nutter, whom authorities later determined lied to them about the fires. 

“During early investigative interviews, deputies noted deceptive and misleading information in the statements provided by Nutter, furthering suspicion of Nutter being the key suspect,” the YCSO explained in a press release.

During a subsequent interview, reportedly confessed to setting seven of the fires. 

Nutter allegedly cited several factors as his motive for committing the string of arsons, including retaliation against a colleague, the “thrill” of setting what he deemed to be ugly structures ablaze, and simple boredom. 

Among his reported targets were two abandoned residences, a cemetery, and a gas station that he allegedly torched on two separate occasions. Authorities also say he set two roadside wildfires in nearby Coconino County. 

In addition to three counts of arson, prosecutors in Yavapai County are also reportedly planning to charge Nutter with five counts of providing a false report to law enforcement. He had not been charged in Coconino County as of the latest updates available.

The notion of so-called firefighter arsonists is nothing new, as arson expert Edward Nordskog explained several years ago.

“There’s roughly 100 firefighter arsonists convicted every year in North America and all of them are serial arsonists, which means three or more fires,” he said in the wake of a 19-year-old Canadian firefighter’s arrest on 18 counts of arson in 2016. 

Although the problem has been apparent for a long time, Nordskog noted that fire agencies have “historically hid these,” meaning its true scope is likely much larger than anyone realizes. 

He offered a few common motives, including firefighters who are “bored,” “looking for recognition,” or “seeking excitement.”

Some are driven to arson “based on a lot of anger and frustration,” he said, while still others “are trying to live up to the war stories of their parents or uncles who may have been in the fire service in the past.”