Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has attributed the wildfires raging across Arizona to illegal immigrants.

We are concerned about particular activities down on our border where there is substantial evidence that some of these fires have been caused by people who have crossed our border illegally, McCain said Saturday at in response to a reporter's question at a press conference, according to CNN. The answer to that part of the problem is to get a secure border.

McCain offered a few reasons why immigrants crossing the border from Mexico would ignite such blazes, including as a tactic to distract the border patrol.

They have set fires because they want to signal others, they have set fires to keep warm and they have set fires in order to divert law enforcement agencies from them, McCain said.

Randy Parraz, an activist who ran unsuccessfully against McCain as a Democratic candidate in 2010 and has worked against Arizona's controversial new immigration enforcement law, called McCain's remarks careless and reckless and said the senator should know better.

Fire investigators have said that evidence suggests that the fire, the largest in the state's history, was likely caused by an unattended campfire.

What we've pretty much broken it down to is that it was a camp fire and we've got a couple of people of interest that we're talking to on that right now, said Christopher Knopp, Supervisor U.S. Forest Service.

Mexico Arizona Mexico Arizona