Backpacker burning toilet paper started 2019 wildfire at Grand Canyon, officials say

An Arizona man pleaded guilty to starting a wildfire within Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service said.

In October 2019, Thomas Grabarek, 71, from Flagstaff, Arizona, was backpacking near Cottonwood Creek when he lit toilet paper on fire to burn it, NPS said. The high winds made the fire spread quickly and burned 64 acres, officials said.

“In his plea agreement, Grabarek agreed to pay restitution totaling $53,520.03,” NPS said in a Sept. 10 news release. “These funds will help park managers rehabilitate the burned area over the course of the next four years.”

Grabarek will also make a public service announcement and help park staff make “educational signs to be posted in the Backcountry Information Center regarding the dangers of burning toilet paper in the backcountry.”

“According to the U.S. Forest Service, nearly 85 percent of all wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans,” NPS said. “If you are hiking and camping below the rim of the Grand Canyon, gas stoves may be used, but campfires and other open fires are never allowed.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Backpacker burning toilet paper started 2019 wildfire at Grand Canyon, officials say."