An off-duty Border Patrol agent shooting recreationally was involved in the Sawmill Fire, the agency confirmed Thursday.
In an emailed statement, the Border Patrol did not name the agent but said the agent reported the fire immediately after it began. All further questions were referred to a state agency.ย
The fire began Sunday afternoon near Box Canyon about 10 miles southeast of Green Valley and has burned 40,000 acres southeast of Tucson.ย
The fire is being investigated as human-caused, said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the Coronado National Forest. The Forest Service's investigator is investigating the cause of the fire for three agencies that have been affected by the fire: Arizona State Land, where the fire began; the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service.ย
She declined to comment further on the cause of the fire and said a report on the blaze will likely take some time to complete.ย
"Our investigation is still active and we do not talk about it. That is our policy," Schewel said.
The National Border Patrol Council, which represents many Border Patrol agents, would not comment until after the investigation is completed, said council spokesman Art Del Cueto.ย
