Two charged in Wallow Fire

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Two cousins have been charged for causing a fire that burned more than 538,000 acres in Arizona and part of western New Mexico before it was contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Caleb Joshua Malboeuf, 26, of Benson and David Wayne Malboeuf, 24, of Tucson were charged in connection with the Wallow Fire, which started on May 29 in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest.

They are scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff on Sept. 19.

Six firefighters from the Maricopa Fire Department were deployed June 3 to help fight the Wallow blaze, which was the largest wildfire ever in Arizona. They were among more than 3,000 professionals who fought  the wildfire.

Chief Wade Brannon said the six men volunteered for the 14-day deployment.

The fire, fueled by dry and windy conditions, destroyed 32 residential structures, four commercial structures and 36 outbuildings and cost more than $79 million to fight.

“Our national forests are among our most precious resources and we all have a responsibility to care for them when we visit,” stated U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke of the District of Arizona. “This devastating fire destroyed pristine national forest, scenic wilderness,

and numerous nearby homes and cabins. Its cost for future generations goes well beyond the resources used to fight it.”

Investigation into the source and origin of the Wallow Fire indicated that the fire started when an unattended and unextinguished campfire in the Bear Wallow area spread out of its fire ring and quickly spread in high winds after Caleb and David Malboeuf had gone on a hike. Upon noticing smoke from the direction of their campsite, the cousins attempted to get back to the campsite where they had left their gear. As they got closer, the smoke and flames became too intense and they were forced to retreat.