Steven Craig Shiflet, a Mesa man, has been charged with starting the Sunflower Fire Sycamore Creek in May. The fire destroyed nearly 18,000 acres in the Tonto National Forest.
Shiflet was target shooting with a group of friends in the forest when he fired a shotgun loaded with a flame-shooting shell, according to federal prosecutors. The 23-year-old Shiflet and four friends traveled to Sycamore Creek for a campout and bachelor party on May 11.
Shiflet told investigators that he pointed the gun at a soda box in a cleared area and smoke appeared in the bushes shortly after. The group could not extinguish the blaze.
Authorities believe the Sunflower Fire originated near the intersection of Forest Road 25 and Sycamore Creek.
Shiflet faces three charges, each which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.