A federal search for a pair of Vans sneakers has revealed that a man and his girlfriend may have been involved in at least six wildfires in New Mexico, including the Salt Fire that burned nearly 8,000 acres of land, according to a court document.
In a newly released search warrant, an FBI 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 last month after the Salt Fire burned more than 7,000 acres of forest on the reservation.
Investigators determined that all 16 fires were human-caused. The fires occurred from May 3 to June 18 in an area of 60 square kilometers.
The Salt Fire was the most destructive of the 16 and investigators noted it diverted resources from the South Fork Fire, a naturally-caused blaze that burned more than 1,400 structures and killed two people. The Salt Fire started about 2 hours after the South Fork Fire was reported.
After speaking with witnesses and searching the areas of each fire, investigators found two things that led them to the couple: a Jeep and a pair of Vans sneakers.
Witnesses reported seeing two people leaving one of the fires in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was later seen fleeing two other fires. Investigators also found the imprint of a Vans shoe in the dirt near two of the fires.
Less than a mile from where the Salt Fire started, an agent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Bureau of Justice Services conducted a traffic stop on the suspicious Jeep, with a man and his girlfriend inside.
Tire tracks from the Jeep closely matched those found near the fires, authorities said. A shoe print from the woman’s Vans also matched the print found earlier, and the woman voluntarily gave her shoes to the FBI, they said.
The man in the Jeep had reported the first fire on May 3, claiming to be a wildland firefighter who had tried to put it out, authorities said. But investigators said they saw a stark contrast in his response to the Salt Fire; he didn’t try to report it or put it out, even though he said in an interview that it was visible from his home.
The FBI declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, and referred to a news release issued last month asking for the public’s help in identifying the fires.
According to the National Park Service, nearly 85 percent of wildfires in the United States are caused by human activities, such as unattended campfires, burning debris, equipment malfunctions and arson. Intense heat, which persists across the country in dangerous waves, can also fuel wildfires.
