A Little Rock man is accused of sparking more than two dozen grass fires along central Arkansas roads and highways, tying up firefighters for hours and causing "uneasiness" in the community, officials said Wednesday.
The Bryant Police Department said officers arrested Daniel Cote, 47, on Tuesday afternoon after he torched an area along Arkansas 5 near a local Walmart. It's one of 34 fires he is accused of starting over several months.
Authorities charged Cote with 34 counts of reckless burning, with each count carrying a six-year maximum prison sentence and fines up to $10,000.
"It caused a lot of uneasiness for the community," Bryant Fire Chief J.P. Jordan said, adding that his department had noticed a trend of fires in recent months. "First responders having to go near busy highways can be dangerous."
Police said Cote started many of the fires close to each other along highways and roads.
Damage from the flames was minimal because the fires burned up mostly grass and didn't reach any buildings, Jordan said.
Still, he pointed to wear and tear on fire equipment, as well as other resources the agency used while responding to put out the fires, some of which grew to more than an acre in size.
"While we were doing that, we could have had a call for something else," Jordan said.
Bryant police said investigators questioned Cote on Tuesday before booking him into the Saline County jail. He was free Wednesday afternoon after posting a $10,000 bond, county records show.
Police said they still aren't sure why Cote started the fires but that they believe the Little Rock man acted alone.
"Maybe it's wanting to do something bigger, or the excitement of seeing the firetrucks responding. Who knows?" Bryant police Sgt. Todd Crowson said. "At this point, I'm not really sure why he wanted to do those fires."
State Desk on 04/11/2019