According to reports an off-duty Border Patrol agent is under investigation for possibly starting a large wildfire in the state while practicing ‘target shooting’ last weekend.

In a statement the Border Patrol officials said that they were aware the investigation about how the fire began on Sunday “involves an off-duty Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent" that they did not identify.

"The agent was involved in recreational shooting and immediately reported the fire after it begun," officials with the Tucson Sector added.

The Coronado National Forest’s spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

The Untied States Forest Service law-enforcement personnel are investigating the cause of the fire and officials previously stated that the wildfire was human-caused as there was no lightning nearby when it started on Sunday about 16 kilometers southeast of Green Valley.
Firefighting crews took advantage of reduced winds on Wednesday to build containment lines around 30% of the fire’s perimeter, up from 7% a day earlier.

"Any fires that develop or are ongoing will likely spread rapidly," the National Weather Service said.

Governor Dough Ducey requested the use of an unmanned aerial drone operated by the Arizona’s National Guard to help first responders in the firefight.

The move was considered as a potential cost-saving plan because the drone would help the incident management team allocate resources more efficiently.

The fire coursed through a sparsely populated area, forcing limited evacuations and closing a state highway.

Combined with low humidity, the stronger winds make for "prime fire conditions," said Manny Cordova, a spokesman for incident management team overseeing the firefighting effort.

About 100 dwellings were evacuated during the fire, but some people were allowed to return to their homes, said Manny Cordova, spokesperson for incident management team overseeing the firefighting effort.

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