Wildfire Burning Thousands Of Acres In AZ Started By Burning Toilet Paper

The Pipeline Fire is currently burning thousands of acres across Arizona. AZ Family reported that the fire was allegedly started after a 57-year-old man lit his toilet paper on fire after defecating in the forest.

During an interview, Matthew Riser said that he had tried to put the fire out with his sleeping bag, which was 80 yards away from where the fire started. Riser says that he saw "a two-hundred-foot by two-hundred-foot" fire and that "everything was on fire."

Coconino National Forest Officials spotted the Pipeline Fire through a fire lookout about six miles north of Flagstaff on Sunday morning. An InciWeb update on Monday showed that the fire has already burned over 5,000 acres.

According to court paperwork, Riser, who is from Louisiana, admitted to seeing the "no campfire" signs as he drove out. He also admitted that he was homeless and had been camping in the forest for two days.

Riser now faces charges for occupying or using a residence on forest service lands. He appeared before a federal magistrate on Monday in Flagstaff. It's still unclear what other charges he could face.