Man walks into Sheriff’s Office, admits to starting 54,000 acre fire
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The following is a news release from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office.
A joint investigation into the Sharps Fire by Detectives from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and Wildland Fire Investigators from the Idaho Department of Lands have determined the cause and individual responsible for starting the fire.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and IDL Investigators began with the person who reported the fire to 911, Ryan M. Jensen, age 35 of Bellevue, Idaho. Jensen reported he was driving out Muldoon Canyon when he came upon the fire. He told detectives that he initially attempted to put the fire out, but then drove back into town to report the blaze to authorities. Jensen repeatedly denied shooting weapons or using any exploding targets. Through the course of the investigation, Detectives met with Jensen multiple times. As additional witness interviews, evidence, and other leads continued to stream in, the investigation began to focus on Jensen as the primary suspect.
On August 1, Jensen voluntarily came into the Sheriff’s Office and confessed to starting the fire by using an exploding target. Thursday afternoon Jensen was officially summoned into court by the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the crime of Firing Timber or Prairie Land, Idaho Code 18-7004.
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“We ask the public to be patient and respectful of the judicial process,” stated Sheriff Steve Harkins.
The Blaine County Sheriff would like to recognize the excellent inter-agency cooperation with the Idaho Department of Lands and commend the exceptional work of all the detectives and investigators involved in solving this case.
“I would also like to thank the citizens for their involvement and willingness to help detectives with leads and information, which is often critical to our success in solving these crimes,” said Harkins.
The Sharps Fire started east of Bellevue, Idaho on July 29 and has quickly spread to approximately 54,000 acres. Current estimates are placed at 29 percent containment.