PHOENIX — Authorities have taken into custody a 25-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache tribe in connection with a wildfire that led to the destruction of 21 homes and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents on the southeastern Arizona reservation, as confirmed by federal prosecutors.

Keanu Rudy Dude has been charged with arson for his alleged role in the fire that ignited in July 2024, consuming over 3 square miles (approximately 7.8 square kilometers) of land. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona reported that Dude was arrested based on an existing indictment from a federal grand jury in Phoenix.

At this time, there has been no response from Dude’s legal representative regarding requests for comments.

The wildfire, referred to as the Watch Fire, also resulted in damage to power lines, creating temporary outages in the area, and took a week for firefighters to fully contain. In response to the incident, a state of emergency was implemented to assist the affected members of the tribe.

While there were no reported injuries due to the fire, the tribe’s chairman, Terry Rambler, indicated that this incident marked the most significant structural fire on the reservation in many years.

Dude is scheduled for his initial court appearance on February 24. Tribal representatives have mentioned that he has a prior criminal history.

Details surrounding the circumstances of Dude’s arrest and any potential motivations have not yet been disclosed.