BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — The man accused of intentionally starting fires in Big Cottonwood Canyon on Tuesday afternoon said he was being guided by "spirits" and his "ancestors."
Garrett Jay Boyd, 34, faces charges of arson and failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, and is currently being held without bail.
Boyd was allegedly seen setting "small fires" in the Mount Olympus Wilderness Area around 2:30 p.m.
"We see this really thick column of smoke arising from the mountain on the northern side of the canyon road," said John Steed, one of the witnesses. "He was like, making all sorts of dances and building fires and putting them out.”
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said a helicopter with the National Guard happened to be nearby and responded, keeping a visual on Boyd from the air until the Utah Department of Public Safety's chopper arrived.
Boyd was in an area of rough terrain and difficult to reach on foot, Rivera said, but deputies caught up and took him into custody. Rivera said personnel were taken to the area via helicopter, and Boyd was hoisted off the mountain.
According to court documents, Boyd admitted to having smoked methamphetamine on Monday evening and drank alcohol Tuesday morning. He told police that his "ancestors" and "spirits" advised him to go up the canyon, and told him to go up the mountain.
"Once on the mountain, Boyd advised the land is sacred and he was going to burn wood. He intentionally started 'three' fires with no means to extinguish the fires," the police report said.
He also claimed to have not been able to hear announcements from the DPS helicopter, although deputies at the bottom of the mountain could hear the commands.
Rivera added that, luckily, none of the fires spread, and they all seemed to go out on their own.
“We are fortunate that the witness made a good decision to call 911," Rivera said. "You don’t get that very often, and we would recommend anybody that saw something that was unusual… to give us a call. If this had been later in the summer, those fires probably would have gotten a lot.”
Unified Fire Authority and U.S. Forest Service assisted with the search.
"I think we need to protect our wild space more and more," added Emma Roberson, the other witness.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera gives update on canyon fires in video below:
Boyd is being held without bail as police say he is homeless and has a history of trouble with the law.
