TUCSON, Ariz. - An Arizona court has ruled that a man must pay more than $300,000 to reimburse public agencies for costs of fighting a 700 -acre blaze that began when the man started a fire to burn brush in the Bisbee area in 2008.

A state Court of Appeals panel's ruling this week upholds a Cochise County Superior Court judge's order that James Charles Ray pay $308,506 to reimburse several state and federal agencies for costs of fighting the Moon Canyon Fire.

Ray had appealed the reimbursement order imposed by the judge during Ray's sentencing on two misdemeanor counts of reckless burning.

He argued that the judge lacked authority to order the reimbursement as part of criminal sentencing, but the appeals court ruled that state law clearly allows that.

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