Firefighter Charged With Arson In 700-Acre Blaze At IL Nature Preserve

LEE COUNTY, IL — A young volunteer firefighter has been arrested in connection with a wildfire that destroyed approximately 700 acres of the Green River State Wildlife Area in northwest Illinois on Friday, officials said.

The fire broke out Friday morning after, according to witness reports, a person got out of their vehicle and intentionally set patches of grass on fire, the Chicago Tribune is reporting. Bystanders were able to stop the man and detain him until Lee County deputies arrived at the scene.

Trent W. Schafer, 21, of Kasbeer, was taken into custody at the site. Officials say Schafer is a volunteer firefighter with the fire department in Ohio, Illinois, which is a small village about 60 miles southwest, according to WIFR.

The fire quickly escalated to a five-alarm blaze — due in part to dry, warm and windy conditions —prompting a response from at least 10 local fire departments along with Illinois Department of Natural Resources wildfire crews, according to NBC Chicago. Firefighters worked through the day to contain the fire, which burned through more than 700 acres of the nature preserve.

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Authorities continue to investigate, and Schafer remains in custody. He has been charged with one count of felony arson, and authorities say additional arson charges are pending for other fires in Lee and Bureau counties, according to mystateline.com.

The Green River State Wildlife Area, located at 375 Game Road in Harmon, is a wildlife restoration area popular among hunters, hikers, birders and other outdoor enthusiasts and includes a 2,565-acre area that varies from flat to gently rolling, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.

Swampy areas dominate nearly a third of the preserve and the remaining portions are prairie restorations, open fields or timberlands, according to the IDNR.