Time-card investigation preceded immigration arrests at Bear Gulch fire

SEATTLE — New details are emerging about the events leading to the arrests of two firefighters by federal officers last month at a wildfire on the Olympic Peninsula.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Tom Clemo, who was the leader of the fire response at the time of the arrests, said they stemmed from an investigation of alleged time-card fraud by private crews working the fire.

Clemo and seven other people interviewed for this story who had direct knowledge of the incident, as well as information garnered from videos, photos and a virtual meeting invite for a debrief on the action, shed light on what preceded the arrests, and those who were involved.

Clemo has sought to distance himself and his team from the arrests.

“My primary concern is the safety of firefighters,” he said las