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SALT LAKE CITY — Investigators say that the sole person of interest regarding the Memory Grove fires of July 26 and 27 has turned himself in — a second time.
Wilbert Fike, 53, was arrested July 26 for investigation. Fike had flagged down a police officer and turned himself in for a fire he said he started that morning, according to Salt Lake fire spokesman Mark Bednarik.
They did arrest him, book him in, get his info. But because there was no real dollar damage to that fire yesterday he was released.
–Mark Bednarik, Salt Lake City Fire
Upon further investigation, firefighters found a 10-foot by 10-foot patch of grass that had been burned, but was put out by Tuesday's rainfall.
Fike was arrested and later released.
"They did arrest him, book him in, get his info. But because there was no real dollar damage to that fire yesterday he was released," said Bednarik.
About 5 a.m. Wednesday, Salt Lake City fire crews were called to Memory Grove in the area just above Memory Grove Park and before City Creek Road, said Bednarik.
The fire was only 3 acres, but it was 200 yards away from jumping the road where it likely would have reached homes, and just 100 feet away from where he claimed to have set a fire the day before.
"We called for additional resources," he said. "We stopped it just at City Creek Road before it jumped it."
Fike then turned himself in again the morning of July 27, claiming he started the second fire as well.
It took about 20 minutes for firefighters to bring the July 27 blaze under control and an hour to put it out completely. No structures were damaged. Investigators determined the fire was started by arson.
Court records show Fike is already a convicted arsonist. In 2007 he was convicted of third-degree felony arson while a second count of third-degree felony arson and a charge of misdemeanor reckless burning was dismissed. He was sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Fike was discharged from the prison in March of 2010.
Court records also show in 1988 Fike plead guilty to amended charges of five counts of sex abuse of a child, all second-degree felonies, and is currently listed on the Utah Sex Offender Registry.
Story written with information from Pat Reavy and [Shara Park](<mailto: spark@ksl.com>)
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