A 51-year-old man was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly starting a campfire that grew into the Mountain Road wildfire, an incident that prompted a massive response from more than 50 firefighters in Ogden. Justin Derald Hurd faces a charge of recklessly causing a catastrophe, a class A misdemeanor, following the blaze that burned through 18 acres.
Police investigation into vehicle
According to arrest documents obtained by Gephardt Daily, Ogden City Police officers responded to reports of a grass fire near 1100 North and Mountain Road at approximately 12:49 a.m. on Saturday. Callers at the scene reported seeing a black Dodge pickup truck fleeing the area at a high rate of speed with its lights turned off.
Juvenile witness account
Before investigators could track the vehicle, patrol officers had already intercepted the truck and stopped its driver, a juvenile male. During the encounter, the youth informed officers that he had been hiking with another man in the area. The juvenile told police that this individual had offered him narcotics and intentionally lit a small fire that quickly became uncontrollable.
Details of the hike
The juvenile further identified the driver of the black Dodge pickup as Hurd. The youth told officers he met Hurd around midnight near 12th Street and Jefferson Avenue while walking toward his father's house. According to the arrest documents, Hurd appeared intoxicated but offered to pay for food and gas for the truck in exchange for letting the juvenile drive him hiking on nearby trails.
Narcotics and fire origin
The interaction turned more serious roughly 20 to 30 minutes into the hike, when Hurd allegedly began offering to purchase DMT, a Schedule I narcotic, for them to share. The juvenile reported that during this period, Hurd attempted to build a campfire using a pink cigarette lighter on dry wood. The youth stated the fire spread rapidly despite efforts from both himself and Hurd to contain it.
Escape from the scene
Feeling uncomfortable with the circumstances, the juvenile decided to leave the area in Hurd's truck to return to his residence, which led to his subsequent stop by police. The youth was detained for questioning, and an interview was conducted in the presence of his father.
Confrontation with firefighters
While firefighters were working to combat the blaze, they requested police assistance because a male party was being confrontational with fire crews. Officers identified this man as Justin Hurd and detained him for transport to the Ogden Police Department station for an interview.
Suspect's defense
Following his Miranda rights, Hurd provided a statement that largely matched the juvenile's account of the events but disputed the cause of the fire. Hurd denied starting the blaze, claiming instead that he saw other individuals running away from the area and believed they may have set it. He claimed he tried to stop the spread by kicking at the flames, stomping them out, and clearing away brush, though he could not explain why he failed to call 911.
