CA: Man Sentenced To 5 Years For Joshua Tree Arson

A judge in California sentenced a man to five years in federal prison Monday for starting a fire in Joshua Tree national park earlier this year. 26-year-old George Graham will also have to pay 21-thousand dollars in restitution. He started the march blaze by setting fire to a palm frond with a cigarette lighter. The fire grew to roughly a quarter acre, destroying several historic trees. The public defender representing Graham said his client grapples with significant mental health issues. Graham was already on parole for arson at the time, and authorities say he admitted to setting the blaze.