‘Light it on fire’: Lot owner makes suggestions for impounded vehicle belonging to Pipeline Fire suspect | Local

Garcia, owner and operator of Blackheart Logistics, was called on Sunday to tow and impound the pickup truck belonging to Matthew Riser, who was arrested on suspicion of igniting the Pipeline Fire. As the fire continues to burn over 20,000 acres and forces thousands of evacuations, Garcia has some ideas about what will happen with Riser’s truck.

“Likely we’re going to end up getting possession of the vehicle; it will become an abandoned vehicle,” Garcia said. “I’d like to donate it to a fire service.”

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, vehicles that have been “removed from a public highway or public property by order of a law enforcement officer” qualify to be titled as abandoned, and lot owners like Garcia may file to take possession of the abandoned vehicle if not reclaimed in 30 days.

Riser’s vehicle — a white “Duramax” Chevrolet pickup with a camper shell — could probably sell for $20,000, Garcia said.

But selling the truck wouldn’t sit right with him.

“I can’t see myself making any money off this,” he said.

Instead, Garcia would like to see the truck meet a “poetic” end by donating it to a firefighting agency that might be able to use it to train personnel on how to respond to a vehicle fire.

“Basically, light it on fire,” Garcia said. “Maybe let some Timberline and Doney Park residents go at it with a sledgehammer first.”

Cathartic as such an end might be for the 2,195 households that have been evacuated from the path of the Pipeline Fire, Riser has yet to be convicted of any crime.

According to the statement of probable cause accompanying Riser’s arrest, Riser claimed to be living out of his vehicle and said the fire was ignited by smoldering toilet paper that he burned and then buried beneath a rock. At the time of his arrest, Riser also acknowledged that he saw “no campfire” signs in the area in which he camped.