Forestry commission arrests arson suspect

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - ARSON ARREST IN BALDWIN COUNTY

 A man arrested last week for allegedly starting three fires in Baldwin County is out of jail now.

 Anthony Boone, 44, was arrested January 25 by investigators with the Alabama Forestry Commission.

 He is charged with wild land arson and harassment.

SIX ACRES BURNED

 Investigators said Boone allegedly started the fires in the Little River community last November.

Donnie Parker with the Alabama Forestry Commission said, "We got the tip from the volunteer fire department. And we did an investigation on it, and we had eyewitnesses that either had seen a guy set a fire, allegedly, or was coming away from fires up there." 　

POTENTIAL DANGER

Parker said these wildfires burned about six acres, but all woods fires can be dangerous.

He said, "It's serious because of the property damage that could be caused by a wildfire or the loss of life that can be caused by a wildfire."

Authorities said forestry-related crimes generate losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

HEAVILY WOODED AREA

The Little River area has plenty of trees.

Shane Ferguson's father owns Ferguson Grocery on Highway 59 in Little River.

He knows how serious the problem can be.

Ferguson said, "Its mostly just woods around here, but you also have these little back roads, and homes that are surrounded by woods that are right at the yard right there. It’s not a lot of open field. But people, if they have a fire, it could really get their house quickly if it’s not put out."

THE NUMBERS

The Alabama Forestry Commission said approximately 31 percent of all wildfires in Alabama are intentionally set.  

Conviction of the Class C Felony carries a penalty of one to ten years imprisonment, and/or up to a $15,000 fine.

GET INVOLVED

You can play an important part in fighting arson.

If you see a suspicious wildfire, timber theft, or theft of harvesting equipment, call the Wildland Arson/Forest Crimes Hotline at 1-800-222-2927.