Dispute at Mountain Highway encampment leads to 10-acre brush fire and an arrest
A woman allegedly set fire to a tent during a dispute with another person at an encampment near the Mountain Highway on Wednesday, leading to a 10-acre brush fire.
The fire, pushed by winds, was headed toward homes in the area of Pirnie Road East when crews from Central Pierce, Graham Fire and South Pierce arrived, said Central Pierce spokesman Darrin Shaw.
The 1:30 p.m. fire partially closed Mountain Highway East for several hours.
“The head of the fire was fast moving, in dry brush,” Shaw said. A bulldozer cut lines to keep the fire contained, he said.
The 40-year-old woman fled after setting the other person’s tent on fire. A Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy found her in a nearby restaurant, according to spokesman Ed Troyer.
She was arrested for reckless burning, a charge less than arson. She also had a warrant for her arrest from the state Department of Corrections, Troyer said.
This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Dispute at Mountain Highway encampment leads to 10-acre brush fire and an arrest."
