TUCSON, Ariz. — A Tucson man has been ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution after he fired a shotgun loaded with incendiary rounds and sparked small fires that turned into a wildfire at Coronado National Forest.
Michael J. Sobcynski, 64, was ordered by a federal judge last week to pay the large fine after he was found to be involved in the Molino II Fire, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
In April 2023, Sobcynski was target shooting in the Molino Basin area and the shotgun blasts started multiple little fires that later turned into a wildfire that had burned up to 115 acres within a couple of days.
The total suppression costs exceeded $200,000.
Sobcynski later pleaded guilty to use of incendiary ammunition.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.