
(FILE: Monument Fire on June 16, 2011)
While officially the investigation into last year’s Monument Fire is “closed-unsolved,” there is no doubt it was human-caused. What is not known is whether it was accidentally started, or was lit as a diversion for criminal activities involving drug or people smuggling, Coronado National Forest spokeswoman Heidi Schewel said.
“We know it was human-caused, there was no lightning in the area,” Schewel said during a telephone interview with the Herald/Review Monday.