A fire tore through hay bales at Three Bars Feed & Tack in New River just after midnight on June 30, spreading toward nearby brush and a shipping container before crews brought it under control. Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested 23-year-old Noah Ross nearly three months later and accused him of setting the blaze after he had been fired from the store.
A Blaze That Spread Fast
The fire spread to nearby brush before the Daisy Mountain Fire Department contained it, according to Yahoo News. Surveillance footage captured a person leaving the hay-bale area after the fire began, the outlet reported. Investigators also found that a security camera in the store's office had been cut. Per Fox 10 Phoenix, another camera showed a tall person near a sign by the fire scene, while investigators said an accomplice cut the camera wire.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arson detectives spent months investigating the fire, per the same Fox 10 Phoenix report. Investigators said cell phone records placed Ross in the area and alleged that he later returned to the burn site wearing a GoPro. They also alleged that Ross used a torch lighter to ignite the hay bales.
Wi-Fi Records Point to a Familiar Name
Arson in Arizona
Statewide data provide a broader benchmark for incidents like this one: According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, 1,074 arsons were reported in Arizona in 2020. That figure is a statewide arson total and does not separately identify Maricopa County incidents or distinguish structure fires from agricultural-property fires.
The store's password-protected Wi-Fi network recorded a device identified as “Noah” connecting or attempting to connect during the fire, according to the Yahoo News account, which cites the investigative findings also reported by Fox 10 Phoenix. A second prepaid device reportedly connected shortly before the fire, and both devices disconnected after Ross left the property, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
The store owners, Rich and Lynn Ineson, suspected a recently fired employee, according to Yahoo News. Fox 10 Phoenix reported that Ross had been dismissed about a month before the fire after management learned he had taken unauthorized photos of women working at a Bikini Beans coffee stand.
Charges, Bond and What Comes Next
Ross was arrested on September 16 and charged with felony arson, third-degree burglary and criminal damage, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. He was booked on $100,000 bond and reportedly admitted to the fire during a police interview, the outlet said. Authorities accused him of causing roughly $60,000 in damage at the North New River Road location.
The Ineson family said a suspect had been arrested and thanked the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, the Phoenix arson investigation team, Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical and Arizona Foothills 911 for their work. Ross remained in jail ahead of his next scheduled court appearance on September 22.
