Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested twenty year-old Obrian Wilson Kee for one count of Burning a Wild Land early Thursday morning and he was subsequently booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility. On Wednesday afternoon during an investigation into the cause of the Hill Fire Coconino County Detectives established Mr. Kee as a person of interest in this investigation.
A Sheriff’s Detective contacted Mr. Kee’s relatives on Wednesday evening and told them of the investigation and expressed their desire to speak with him. At about midnight on Wednesday the Coconino County Sheriff’s office received a call from Kee’s relatives and learned that they were with him and would bring him in to speak with detectives. Once he arrived Mr. Kee was interviewed by a Coconino County Sheriff’s Detective and a United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer.
During the interview Mr. Kee said he was in the area where the fire started and was upset due to a recent verbal argument with his girlfriend. Mr. Kee made statements admitting involvement with the ignition of the fire. Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives and United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers are continuing this investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming
General Status: Combination of seven to nine fires that began simultaneously in the Turkey Hills area. Currently 40 percent contained as of 8 a.m. today. One spot fire was detected and contained early this morning. Weather will be dry and warm, but winds are expected to be calm today, which will help crews get further containment on the multiple fires. Although this incident is referred to as the Hill Fire, this includes multiple fires in the same area.
Location: Approximately 8 miles east of the center of Flagstaff and 2 miles north of Interstate 40 in the Turkey Hills area.
Size: Approximately 50 acres total
Reported: 4 p.m., Wednesday, by Mt. Elden Lookout Tower
Cause: Human; currently under investigation.
Current Resources: 8 engines, 4 crews, 4 water tenders, 1 dozer, 1 air attack spotter aircraft. About 100 Forest Service personnel are currently assigned.
Injuries, Structures Threatened/Destroyed: No injuries reported. One unoccupied single-wide trailer was destroyed yesterday.
Evacuations: Currently none. Residents were evacuated for a short time yesterday on east side of Koch Field Road, which included approximately 50 homes.
Arrests: The Person of Interest, Obrian Wilson Kee, was arrested early this morning about 3 a.m. in connection with these fires. For more information regarding the arrest, please contact Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Gerry Blair, at 928-226-5089.
