CONGRESS, Ariz. — A Yavapai County man is accused of impersonating a firefighter and telling residents to evacuate because of a wildfire when in fact he wasn't.
On Wednesday night, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office received a report of an individual posing as a Yarnell firefighter and wandering through neighborhoods in the congressional district, telling residents they needed to evacuate.
The incident reportedly happened while real firefighters were battling the Hillside Fire north of Congress, adjacent to the Ghost Town Mine.
Officials say no evacuation orders had been issued for these specific areas and the incident caused widespread panic throughout the town.
Residents identified the impersonator as Patrick Parent, who is known to police.
Police checked with the Yarnell Fire Chief, who said the individual in question is not an employee of the department and was “fired several months ago.”
When officers went to Parent's address, they found him driving down the street and pulled him over.
The parent was taken into custody, and police found Yarnell's fire suit, wildfire pants, and helmet with a lamp, which had been described to police by neighbors.
Police said security camera footage from the home showed the parents ringing doorbells at each home and calling out “fire department.”
YCSO
While in custody, officers say they noticed signs of impairment.
The parent was arrested on several charges, including DUI (pending blood alcohol content test results), impersonating a public servant, criminal nuisance and disorderly conduct.
YCSO reminds everyone that evacuation notifications will come from YCSO directly through the proper channels or by personnel.
