Man charged for Joshua Tree National Park fire
A Twentynine Palms man has been charged with unlawfully setting timber afire, a federal felony offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine according to a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department news release. 26-year-old George William Graham was arrested at the scene of the blaze Monday night, after remarking to law enforcement officials that he set the fire.
Graham was known by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and the National Park Service as a California arson parolee, according to court records.
The Monday night fire damaged historic trees and other National Park resources in the Oasis of Mara section of the park. The site was settled by Native Americans who planted the 29 palm trees that inspired the name of the city of Twentynine Palms.
The affected area was approximately 2.5 acres in size.
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