Suspected Kellogg arsonist arrested
WALLACE – The man believed to be responsible for starting close to 20 different fires across eastern Kellogg last summer has finally been taken into custody.
The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office reports that on April 23, Detective Jeff Lee took Daniel R. Robinson, 45, into custody for third degree arson, use or possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and violation of burning restrictions.
Det. Lee made the arrest after spotting Robinson riding past him on a bicycle during an unrelated traffic stop on the 100 block of E Street in Smelterville.
Based on several hours of camera footage of the affected areas and physical evidence recovered from the scenes of the fires, a collaborative agency investigation was able to tie Robinson to the crime and make him the primary suspect.
Collectively known as the Morning Star Fires, fire crews from across the Silver Valley responded to 18 separate ignition sites across eastern Kellogg on August 20, 2018.
The first fire, located near the Division Street Bridge, was reported at 7:33 p.m. and Kellogg Police Sgt. Paul Twidt was the first on scene. Crews from Shoshone County Fire District No. 2 arrived not long after and controlled the blaze before it got out of hand, but that was just the beginning of their night.
“We had just finished on the one on Division Street when (dispatch) told us about the two by Kellogg moving and storage,” SCFD No. 2 Chief Mark Aamodt said. “Then we were spotting them from there and chasing them down.”
Suspecting a pattern of arson, Sgt. Twidt quickly drove to Elizabeth Park in an attempt to cut of the perpetrator. After a brief wait and no sign of fires, he then drove back.
“I come back, grab a shovel and put out the closest one (the fourth fire on the trail) because the guys and the Chief were working on the others,” Twidt explained. “When we were doing that, a guy says ‘hey there’s fires up here on this back road!”
Chief Aamodt and Twidt then drove down Ross Ranch Road and discovered another small fire on the shoulder.
After quickly putting it out, the duo then saw flames creeping over the southern hillside. They then rushed up to Alhambra Ave. and found several starts – including three large fires – burning on the Morning Star bike trail.
The three larger fires would converge to create one big fire that burned just east of the Kellogg Cemetery and north of Alhambra Ave.
IDL crews are stayed on scene throughout the night and ensured that 100 percent containment was obtained on all fires by the next morning.
It was determined that the total area burned was contained to less than one acre in size– over one mile in walking distance.
Law enforcement suspected Robinson of the crime not too long after the incident, but failed to make an arrest before he left the Silver Valley and evaded capture. Det. Lee stated that he had been attempting to track down Robinson almost every day since he fled last year.
Robinson’s motives for allegedly starting the fires is unknown, but it is believed that alcohol was possibly a factor.
The agencies involved in the collaborative investigation included SCSO, KPD, SCFD No.2, the Shoshone County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho Department of Lands.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the investigators and prosecutors that worked diligently for a resolution in this case,” Sheriff Mike Gunderson said in a news release on Wednesday.
According to ICourt, Robinson has a significant criminal history in Shoshone County dating back to 2006 that involves trespassing, resisting officers, battery, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and drivers license violations. He also was found guilty of attempted strangulation in Kootenai County in 2014.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 7 at the Shoshone County Courthouse in Wallace.