Man accused of setting multiple brush fires in Fort Myers

SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla.—The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of setting multiple brush fires using gasoline and a lighter.

Deputies arrested Brian Justin Dry, 49, on Friday after initially responding to a brush fire near Old Gladiolus Drive. Law enforcement says they observed Dry fleeing the area upon arrival, prompting deputies to pursue the suspect.

After the deployment of K-9 units, deputies located Dry at a Speedway gas station along U.S. 41, where he was found standing near gas cans with a lighter in his pocket and only one shoe on. 

According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Dry intentionally set multiple fires in an open field using gasoline and a lighter during dry conditions. He noted that Dry had 18 prior arrests in Lee County for offenses including narcotics and battery.

Note that on January 20, Lee County enacted a burn ban due to increasing dry conditions throughout the Southwest Florida area. 

On Friday, conditions were favorable for first responders to extinguish the several fires allegedly set by Dry. Marceno noted that the situation could have been more catastrophic under different conditions. 

Dry faces arson-related charges, including intentionally burning an open field, and now resides in the Lee County Jail.