Corbin man now faces federal charges for setting wildfires

A man who U.S. Forest Service officials say is responsible for setting numerous wildfires in Whitley County that burned roughly 200 acres of land is now facing federal charges for the blazes.

Michael L. Luttrell, 20, of Corbin was indicted by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court in London last Thursday, three days after he was arrested for setting several different wildfires in the Daniel Boone National Forest in the Whippoorwill area of Whitley County. Authorities believe the wildfires were set on March 20. Luttrell was taken into custody around 6:00 p.m. a day later at a residence on Hwy. 6.

Luttrell was contacted about the wildfires that officials suspected were caused by arson. He allegedly admitted that he had set some fires and showed Forest Service Officers where he set them.

Officials say the fires Luttrell allegedly set were spotted by a Forest Service helicopter patrol.

The fires are close to Laurel River Lake.

Luttrell was spotted near the starting point of several of the fires before he was arrested by Forest Service Officers. About five separate fires were set in all, but they eventually burned together. Initially, Forest Service Officials thought they consumed about 100 acres of land, but revised the number upward 197 acres.

Spring Fire season in Kentucky runs from Feb. 15 through April 30. It denotes the time when weather conditions are "ripe" for wildfires.

Luttrell was initially arrested and charged with willfully setting a fire on land he doesn’t own and willfully using a device to set a fire. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Whitley District Court Tuesday. It is likely state charges against him will be dropped since he is now facing a more serious federal charge for the same offense. He is currently lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Officials provided no apparent motive for the arsons.

About 70 to 80 percent of wildfires in Kentucky are the result of arson.

Luttrell is facing up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if found guilty. He could also be made to pay restitution for any damage caused.