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CEDAR CITY — A defense attorney questioned misdemeanor charges against a man accused of accidentally sparking a massive Utah wildfire that destroyed 13 homes and cost some $40 million to fight.
Attorney Andrew Deiss said after a Tuesday court hearing that part of the case against Robert Ray Lyman, 61, could be dismissed for lack of evidence but didn't elaborate.
Prosecutor Scott Garrett said authorities have solid evidence for the charges that include reckless burning, the Spectrum reports.
Lyman is charged with two misdemeanor counts in the blaze that authorities said was started by weed burning that grew out of control near the southern Utah ski town of Brian Head.
The fire torched more than 100 square miles and forced about 1,500 people to evacuate the area.
Lyman, a former high school and college basketball coach from Taylorsville, is distraught about the damage and grateful for the firefighters who worked to contain the fire, Deiss said.
Related:
Man charged in igniting massive Brian Head wildfire
Utah prosecutors have charged a man accused of accidentally sparking a massive wildfire that forced some 1,500 people from their homes last month and cost about $34 million to fight."Mr. Lyman has lived his life as a coach and an educator with the highest degree of integrity," the defense attorney said. "From the start of this investigation, he cooperated, came forward and helped in every way he could."
Lyman declined to comment. He is due back in court for an evidence hearing Oct. 11. If convicted on a reckless burning charge, Lyman could face up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. A count of burning without a permit carries up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Felony charges were not warranted because there was no evidence the fire was set on purpose, the prosecutor said.
"In this case, we charged it as (reckless burning) because we didn't feel like it was his intent to burn 70,000 acres," Garrett said.
Southern Utah News
