A federal search for a pair of Vans sneakers revealed the potential involvement of a man and his girlfriend in at least six wildfires in New Mexico, including the Salt Fire that burned almost 8,000 hectares of land.
In a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit, an FBI special agent detailed an investigation into 16 suspicious fires on the Mescalero Apache Reservation near Ruidoso, New Mexico. The FBI began the investigation in early May, and several other federal agencies joined in June, after the Salt Fire burned more than 7,000 acres of the reservation’s forests.
Investigators determined that all 16 fires were “human caused.” The fires occurred between May 3 and June 18 in an area of 25 square kilometers.
The Salt Fire was the most destructive of the 16, and investigators noted that it diverted resources from the South Fork Fire, a naturally occurring wildfire that burned more than 1,400 structures and left two people dead. The Salt Fire began about 2 hours after reports from the South Fork.
After talking to witnesses and searching the areas of each fire, investigators found two things that led them to the suspected couple: a Jeep and a pair of Vans sneakers.
Witnesses reported seeing two people driving away from one of the fires in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was later seen running away from two other fires. Investigators also found a Vans shoe print in the dirt near two of the fires.
Less than a mile away from where the salty fire started, an agent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services conducted a traffic stop on the alleged Jeep, which contained a man and his girlfriend.
The tread patterns on the Jeep’s tires closely matched those near the fires. The footprint of the woman’s Vans also matched the print found earlier, and the woman voluntarily turned over her shoes to the FBI.
The man in the Jeep had reported the first fire on May 3, claiming to be a wildland firefighter who tried to put it out. Investigators noted, however, a stark contrast in his reaction to Salt Fire; he did not attempt to report it or erase it, despite stating in an interview that it was visible from his home.
The FBI declined a request for comment, citing the ongoing investigation, and pointed to a June press release asking for public assistance in identifying the fires.
According to the National Park Service, almost 85 percent of U.S. wildfires are caused by human activities such as unattended campfires, burning debris, equipment malfunctions, and arson. The intense heat, which persists across the country in dangerous waves, can also fuel forest fires.
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