A former Oatman firefighter was arrested Sunday when he tried to help efforts to put out a fire but refused orders to stand down.
Jonathan Bradley Blake, 33, of Oatman, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing governmental operations, according to Mohave County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Trish Carter. According to sheriff’s office reports, the Oatman Fire Department was dispatched for a vehicle fire in a public parking lot on the south end of the town around 2:25 p.m. Sunday. Blake, who is no longer a member of the Oatman Fire Department, reportedly stepped onto the Oatman fire truck and began to manipulate pressure settings on the hoses and other functions while firefighters worked to extinguish three vehicles on fire.
A current Oatman Fire Department member reportedly asked Blake to get off the truck, then engaged in a brief scuffle with him.