Following an investigation by Special Agents of the National Park Service and U.S. Park Rangers, a Flagstaff man pled guilty to misdemeanor violations for starting a wildland fire within Grand Canyon National Park.
Thomas Grabarek, 71, pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2020 to misdemeanor violations for starting the Cottonwood Creek Fire which spread approximately 64 acres in the Inner Canyon along the Tonto Trail near Horseshoe Mesa.
In Oct. 2019, while backpacking in the area Grabarek started a fire by lighting toilet paper in an attempt to incinerate it. High winds that day allowed the fire to quickly spread uphill, requiring immediate response by NPS wildland fire personnel.
In his plea agreement, Grabarek agreed to pay restitution totaling $53,520.03. These funds will help park managers rehabilitate the burned area over the course of the next four years.