Ex-northern Arizona firefighter sentenced to 5 years for arson
ASH FORK, AZ (AZFamily) — A former firefighter who purposely ignited several fires in northern Arizona has learned how long he’ll spend in prison.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said that ex-Ash Fork firefighter Karson Nutter was sentenced to five years in prison for the arson crimes.
In 2023, Yavapai and Coconino County deputies were searching for an arsonist who was responsible for four structure fires and four wildfires. Fires were set at a Mobil gas station in Ash Fork twice and two others at the county-owned cemetery in Ash Fork.
In Coconino County, two abandoned homes were found burned down.
Investigators began to suspect Nutter was behind the crimes due to “deceptive and misleading statements.” Nutter later confessed that he set at least seven of the eight fires, claiming that they stemmed from boredom and retaliation against his former employer. He also claimed that he set fire to some abandoned homes for “being ugly.”
“It’s also a good reminder of the extensive efforts from YCSO and Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives who worked tirelessly to put an end to the fires that had the Ash Fork community on edge,” the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
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