Authorities discovered distant campsite with 1,000 kilos of trash

A person who spent about eight years dwelling off the grid in a distant Arizona forest has been sentenced after authorities found his makeshift campsite surrounded by roughly 1,000 kilos of trash and an energetic campfire regardless of strict hearth restrictions.

Mark Aaron Gatz, 65, pleaded responsible to violating federal hearth restrictions and unlawfully residing in Tonto Nationwide Forest, based on federal court docket data first reported by The Guardian.

Gatz was arrested on June 25 after a US Forest Service officer discovered what court docket paperwork described as an unlawful campsite with a “sizzling wooden burning campfire” regardless of hearth restrictions in place.

Through the encounter, Gatz advised investigators he had been dwelling within the nationwide forest for about eight years.

A data test discovered he had beforehand acquired a number of citations and was the topic of six excellent federal arrest warrants tied to earlier violations, together with constructing fires throughout hearth restrictions, establishing buildings on nationwide forest land, sustaining unsanitary circumstances and occupying the forest as a residence.

Authorities mentioned Gatz admitted he knew hearth restrictions had been in place however advised investigators he “needed to have hearth to eat.”

Court docket data present Forest Service officers had contacted him a number of instances over the previous 12 months, issuing warnings and a violation discover over campfires throughout hearth restrictions.

Throughout earlier visits this 12 months, officers reported discovering clothes, pans, instruments and plastic cups strewn throughout the campsite, together with a four-foot-tall construction constructed from picket panels.

When officers returned in Could, they estimated the location contained roughly 1,000 kilos of trash, together with tires, plastic baggage, trash baggage, aluminum cans and different particles.

In addition they reported discovering {that a} campfire had been left unattended whereas it was nonetheless sizzling.

In a separate report from February, one officer wrote that “upon arrival on the camp, I used to be flabbergasted by the quantity of particles within the space.”

Investigators mentioned the campsite contained three ladders, six to eight totes overflowing with particles, 5 55-gallon drums, eight tires, a number of bicycle frames, 5 gallons of motor oil, plywood and different miscellaneous lumber.

Trash was scattered throughout roughly half an acre of Forest Service land, creating what officers described as a public security concern.

An earlier report from July 2025 described the placement as a “giant messy campsite” that officers investigated after receiving complaints from the district workplace.

“There was roughly half an acre of sources ruined attributable to a lot trash and items on the bottom for an prolonged time frame,” an officer wrote.

Following his responsible plea, Gatz was sentenced to time served and three years of probation.

The court docket additionally ordered him to pay a $20 particular evaluation inside 30 days of July 6, 2026. A fantastic was waived after the court docket decided he was unable to pay, and no restitution was ordered.

An lawyer for Gatz didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

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