An Arizona man accused of setting fire to thousands of dollars’ worth of hay at his former employer’s property was allegedly motivated by a desire to “do something fun” after drinking with a friend, investigators say.
Noah Ross, 23, was arrested on 16 September in connection with the blaze at Three Bars Feed & Tack in New River, north of Phoenix. He faces felony charges of arson, third-degree burglary and criminal damage.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight on 30 June, with flames spreading from the hay bales towards nearby scrubland and a shipping container. The damage was estimated at about $60,000 (£44,000).
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Ross admitted setting the fire after detectives served a search warrant at his home. He allegedly told investigators that he and an accomplice had been drinking beer and whiskey on the property when they decided they “felt like doing something fun”.
Ross is accused of using a torch lighter to ignite the hay while the other person cut a security camera wire. Firefighters from the Daisy Mountain department attended the scene as the blaze took hold.
Investigators traced phone linked to fire
Arson detectives spent several months examining security footage and digital records. Video showed a tall figure hiding behind a sign near the site, while business Wi-Fi logs recorded a phone named “Noah” and a second prepaid device connecting shortly before the fire.
Cellphone data allegedly placed Ross in the area. Investigators also said he later returned to the burnt-out site wearing a GoPro camera and asked questions about the inquiry, behaviour that heightened their suspicions.
Rich and Lynn Ineson, the owners of Three Bars Feed & Tack, said Ross had been dismissed about a month before the fire. They said he had taken photographs of women working at a Bikini Beans coffee stand while driving a company vehicle and shown the images to managers.
Following the arrest, the couple thanked the sheriff’s office, the Phoenix Arson Investigation Team, Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical and Arizona Foothills 911 for their work on the case.
Ross, who was already on probation for sexual conduct with a minor, is being held on $100,000 bond. He is due to appear in court on 22 September.
