Man accused of starting Timp Fire allegedly tied to three more small fires in 2025

AMERICAN FORK — A 46-year-old man recently charged for allegedly starting the Timp Fire in American Fork Canyon is now accused of starting three other fires in the same area last year.

Conrad Jared Larsen, whose last known address was in West Jordan, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with three counts of arson, one second-degree felony and two third-degree felonies.

Larsen is accused of starting fires near the Timpooneke Campground on July 6, July 14 and July 21, 2025, according to charging documents.

On July 6, 2025, firefighters "responded to three small fires in the area (a witness) saw (Larsen) headed the night before. The fires were determined to have been started independently, rather than from sparks or blowing embers, and the total area burned was about one-tenth of an acre," the charges state.

On July 14, 2025, another witness "found an abandoned campfire along Timpooneke Road near their campsite and extinguished it. A video surveillance camera that had been placed after the July 6 fire showed (Larsen) walking within about 65 yards of the abandoned fire a little before midnight on July 13 and about (12:30 a.m.) on July 14," according to the charges.

Another surveillance camera recorded Larsen on July 20, 2025, walking about a mile away from where "a third fire was found and extinguished by fire crews after burning about one-tenth of an acre," the charges state.

When questioned, Larsen "admitted setting all described fires. (He) said he never clears the surrounding area of flammable materials, does not clear the ground where he sets a fire, does not dig a pit, and does not build a rock ring before he lights a fire because he does not consider it to be a risk. (He) also said that he does not put his fires out when he leaves an area because he believes it is safe for them to cool naturally," charging documents state.

Larsen further claimed he had set another fire in the same area in 2024, according to the charges.

"Despite having set a fire that caused a wildfire in 2017 and for which the defendant was convicted of a federal misdemeanor, he maintained that his conduct presented a 'minimal risk' of wildfire and that he was 'willing to run that risk' of triggering a wildfire by his unattended camp fires," prosecutors stated in their charging documents.

On Monday, Larsen was charged with in 4th District Court with arson, a second-degree felony, for allegedly sparking another fire on July 9 of this year near the Timpooneke Campground. The Timp Fire forced the evacuation and closure of the campground and Mutual Dell area.

"Resources utilized and damage caused is estimated to exceed $100,000," charging documents state.

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