Two cousins charged with starting largest ever Arizona wildfire

Caleb Joshua Malboeuf, 26, and David Wayne Malboeuf, 24, were charged with starting the so-called Wallow Fire on May 29, in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a news release.

The blaze raged for more than a month, scorching three dozen homes and businesses and displacing up to 10,000 people at its peak, while roaring through 840 square miles of ponderosa pine forests in eastern Arizona and into New Mexico.

The fire zone lies in the heart of the White Mountains, a picturesque area dotted with vacation cabins and popular as a retreat for Arizonans seeking to escape the summer heat. Fighting it cost over $79 million.

"Our national forests are among our most precious resources and we all have a responsibility to care for them when we visit," Dennis K. Burke, U.S. Attorney of the District of Arizona said in a statement.

"This devastating fire destroyed pristine national forest, scenic wilderness, and numerous nearby homes and cabins. Its cost for future generations goes well beyond the resources used to fight it," he added.

The Malboeuf cousins, both from southern Arizona, were charged on five counts including causing timber to burn, leaving a fire unattended and unextinguished and building a campfire without removing all surrounding flammable material.