Charges have been laid after a fire had been used to burn copper wire in Sarnia's Howard Watson Nature Trail area.
City police said a patrol officer saw a plume of black smoke in the trail area between Confederation Street and Wellington Street on Tuesday at 1:50 p.m.
A fire was found at an encampment.
Fueled by a large amount of wood, plastic, and rubber, police said the fire had started to char nearby trees.
It's alleged a 48-year-old Sarnia man, who was under a probation order, tried to burn the insulation off of copper wire to salvage the metal to sell.
Sarnia firefighters extinguished the blaze, preventing it from expanding even more.
The accused was arrested and held for bail. He was charged with breach of probation, arson to property, and open air burn under the Sarnia bylaw.
