(Salt Lake City, UT) - The US Attorney's Office filed a $1.7 million civil lawsuit against nine people accused of starting the 2006 Jarvis Wildfire that burned 50,373-acres along the Utah-Arizona border of which 43,074-acres were administered by the Bureau of Land Management and 3,360-acres on Indian Reservation land. The United States filed the action June 21, 2012, to recover the damages it suffered as a result of the Jarvis Fire, which are in excess of $1.7 million dollars, according to the Complaint. (Complaint)

The lawsuit accuses nine juveniles of building a campfire June 24, 2006, in violation of State and Federal fire restriction orders in effect at the time after driving into the area to camp and party.

Sparks from the camp fire spread to dry brush and ignited the wildfire, court records said.

“Upon realizing that they did not have adequate water or tools to suppress the fire, the Defendants are accused of fleeing the scene and failing to make any attempt to report the fire by calling 911 or otherwise alert authorities," the Complaint said.

The lawsuit said the nine were adjudicated in juvenile court on criminal charges related to the wildfire. The civil action seeks to recover $1.7 million in damages, naming as Defendants - Ronny Aguinaga, David Brown, Emery Gifford, Jerame Hafen, Jesse Hafen, Jordan Hafen, Kyle Isom, Andrew Jarrell, and Leah Secrist.

Some of the nine can't be located to be served with court documents and the US Attorney's Office has asked federal Magistrate Judge Evelyn J. Furse for permission to publish the lawsuit in a St. George-area newspaper as a substitute for service.