Man with history of starting fires arrested in connection with Timp Fire

AMERICAN FORK — A 46-year-old homeless man who police say has a history of starting fires and leaving them unattended has been arrested in connection with the Timp Fire, a small wildfire discovered last week in American Fork Canyon.

Conrad Jared Larsen was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of arson.

On July 9, a fire was reported near the Timpooneke Campground. The Timp Fire only burned an estimated 2 acres but forced the evacuation and closure of the Timpooneke Campground and Mutual Dell area.

Larsen was identified as a suspect with help from the U.S. Forest Service. Witnesses reported that “a male matching Conrad’s description” was “throwing sticks on a fire” that was burning outside a fire pit and ignited two nearby bushes “and had flames approximately 10 feet high while Conrad was throwing more fuel on the fire,” a police booking affidavit states.

When investigators tracked Larsen down, he had a lighter in his pocket and admitted that “he likes to have campfires every night,” the affidavit states. Police also noted “Conrad also had a very strong odor of smoke coming from his vehicle.”

“Conrad has an extensive history with starting fires in the area of Timpooneke camp,” the affidavit continues. “This includes a 17-acre fire in 2017, which Conrad was charged and convicted for.”

Larsen pleaded guilty in 2017 in federal court to “carelessly and negligently placing an ignited substance” and was placed on probation for one year, according to court records. He was also charged in that case with “leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it.”

A copy of Larsen’s citation in federal court documents also accused him of “leaving multiple fires unattended.” According to a police booking affidavit, Larsen had been camping in the Burned Canyon area, near Timpanogos Cave National Monument, for three weeks prior to the start of the fire.

“He enjoys working with wood and had been cutting downed logs into sections,” the statement says. “Larsen says he came up with a clever way to cut the sections of wood by burning them through with fire. He thought this was a more efficient method than using hand tools. Larsen would prop branches and dry vegetation and ignite it with a cigarette lighter.”

Larsen showed investigators three logs that he had lit on fire on three separate days, and investigators say each one was still smoldering.

“No measures had been taken by Larsen to clear the area of debris or build a protective ring around each spot,” the affidavit noted.