A man suspected of intentionally starting wildfires in the woods of southwest Oregon on Monday was detained by locals who tied him to a tree until police could arrive, authorities say.
The U.S. Forest Service received reports of active fires in a remote area of Oregon on Monday only accessible by river or Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management roads, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. A suspect had also been seen walking along a gravel road in the area starting fires. Ground crews quickly contained the fires, according to police, and a suspect, 30-year-old Trennon Smith, was detained by three locals who were forced to tie him to a tree until authorities could arrive.
“Three local residents of that area located the suspect walking on the roadway near the fires and detained him until law enforcement arrived on scene. It was reported that the suspect became very combative with the three residents and had to be tied to a tree to subdue him,” Curry County Sheriff John Ward said in a statement.
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Smith was transported to an area hospital for injuries he received from falling down, according to police, and then taken to Curry County Jail. He has been charged with two counts of arson in the first degree and one count of reckless burning. The suspect also had a warrant out for his arrest at the time for probation violation.
The sheriff’s office said that if not for the quick actions by the agencies that responded to the fires and the locals who detained the suspect, the fires could have been catastrophic.
“The cooperation and partnership between all agencies when something like this occurs is remarkable. The quick actions on getting the fires out most certainly averted a catastrophe and saved lives,” Ward said.
The total area burned by Monday’s fires is less than one acre because of the quick response, Ward added.
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The Curry County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to investigate the arsons, and federal agencies may work on the case as well.
An out-of-control wildfire in neighboring California has burned more than 18,000 acres near Yosemite National Park, forcing thousands of residents to flee remote mountain communities. The Oak fire was sparked as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze, the Washburn fire, that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias in the southernmost part of Yosemite.
