Man arrested on suspicion of starting Watch Fire, which destroyed 21 homes

Officials said a man was arrested and charged with arson in connection with the Watch Fire, which burned over 2,000 acres of land across the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Tuesday afternoon, the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Keanu Dude, was arrested by the San Carlos Apache Police Department and the Tribe's Game and Fish Rangers. Officials said Dude was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

"It saddens me deeply that a member of our Tribe has been charged with starting this fire that devastated our community," San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement. "Arson is a senseless act that will never be tolerated under any circumstance. I am thankful for the swift and thorough investigation by tribal and federal law enforcement that has resulted in an arrest."

According to officials, Dude lived in the Gilson Wash District and had a history of assault and domestic violence charges. He was being held at the San Carlos Adult Detention & Rehabilitation Center.

Officials said the case was still under investigation.

The Watch Fire started on July 10 as a small brush fire. High winds from a thunderstorm caused the fire to rapidly spread in all directions. San Carlos Apache Tribe officials said the fire destroyed 21 homes, forced more than 400 members of the Tribe to evacuate the area and left 73 unsheltered. The fire was 100% contained as of July 18.

"While thankfully no one was injured, many face extreme hardship, losing their homes and all their possessions and were left with only the clothes on their back," Rambler said. "It is imperative that everyone in our Tribe work together to overcome this criminal act and rebuild our community stronger and better than ever."

The Tribe is accepting monetary donations towards rebuilding homes and infrastructure. More details on how to donate can be found here.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man charged with arson in connection to Watch Fire