Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Gene Kennedy reporting There were six grass fires overnight on the hillside along Provo's East Bench. All of them are considered suspicious.
The fires were not very big, about two acres total. But that's because firefighters got to them very quickly. Had they not been that aggressive, the flames would have spread from the brush to the housing development in Provo's east bench.
The fires started between two and four Friday morning. The latest one was at the mouth of Rock Canyon, roughly North Temple and 900 east.
There wasn't any lighting in Provo last night. That is one of many reasons why the fire marshal believes these fires were intentionally set.
Jim Guynn, Provo Fire Marshal: "The time of day, the close proximity. There were four fires within a quarter mile of each other. And three or four miles down the road, in close time frame, we have two additional fires. So there are a total of six fires in a four or five hour timeframe."
A witness saw a Red Ford Mustang leaving the scene near one of the fires. Investigators are looking into that tip, as well as several others they've received.
If someone is caught, firefighters say they will go after that person to recoup the cost of fighting the fires.
Investigators need the public's help to come up with answers. If you have any information about this investigation call the Provo Fire Marshal at 801-852-6307, or log onto www.provo.org, and there's an arson hot line that you can get info on from that site.
