Serial Arsonist Tracked Down and Jailed!

Rangers at Five Blues Lake National Park say they “prevented what could have escalated into a major wildfire event” after catching a man setting more than 30 fires inside the protected area late last month.

According to the Hummingbird Environmental Tour Guide Association (HETA), which co-manages the park, rangers arrived at Five Blues Lake National Park on May 25 for a scheduled camping activity and found that camping gear, kayaks and other supplies had been deliberately burnt. Park personnel later reviewed footage from wildlife camera traps and identified a man moving suspiciously within the park on the same day.

The following day, rangers staged a stakeout and caught the same individual in the act of lighting another fire. A search of his backpack turned up stolen park items and materials used to start the blazes.

With assistance from the Association of Protected Areas Management Organisations (APAMO), the matter was handed over to police. The suspect, identified as a Salvadoran national, was subsequently arrested and charged with illegal entry into Belize. He has reportedly been sentenced to six months imprisonment and is expected to face additional charges related to arson.