Boise man charged with arson, suspected of starting fire that closed down Polecat trails
Police arrested a Boise man who’s suspected of starting a Foothills fire that went on to burn a significant amount of land in the Polecat Gulch area, closing down popular trails.
The Boise Police Department said the 51-year-old was charged Monday morning with arson in the third degree — meaning the fire destroyed either personal property or forest land — relating to a grass fire that began Friday evening at the Polecat Gulch Trailhead near North Collister Drive.
The Polecat Fire went on to burn 36 acres of Foothills land and threatened houses at the end of Collister, according to police. Idaho Bureau of Land Management crews were able to control the fire by Saturday evening.
“Thanks to the quick and coordinated response from first responders, the fire was stopped before it led to any injuries or destruction of nearby homes,” police said.
A video helped law enforcement identify the suspect, who was booked into the Ada County Jail on Monday, according to police. The department said the investigation into this incident is ongoing, and the suspect could faceadditional pending charges.
The Polecat Gulch to Collister Trailhead reopened Monday morning, according to Boise Parks and Recreation.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy we aren't naming all suspects
The Idaho Statesman doesn’t always name the suspect in crime stories. Our general practice, implemented in February 2022, is that we only name suspects when we are committed to following a case through the criminal justice system. That ensures that if charges are reduced or dismissed, or the person is acquitted, our reporting will reflect that. We made this decision as part of our Clean Slate project, which creates a pathway for people whose minor crimes were reported by us in the past to have those stories de-indexed so they don’t show up in Google searches. We also can always decide to name the suspect later if appropriate. Learn more about our Clean Slate project here.
Also of note, we generally don’t publish booking mugshots of arrestees. Those have been shown to have lasting effects on the people photographed and marginalized communities. Exceptions must be approved by a senior editor.
This story was originally published June 24, 2024 at 3:04 PM.
