La Pine homeless camper jailed on reckless burning charge after unattended burn pit sparks fire in forest near homes

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A  homeless camp resident was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a reckless burning charge, accused of leaving a burn pit unattended, which ignited a fire near the Huntington Meadows subdivision that firefighters stopped at a small size.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 2:15 p.m. to a fire reported in the forest just south of the heavily populated Huntington Meadows on Huntington Road, Sergeant Joshua Barker said.

The La Pine Rural Fire District responded, as well as a wildland firefighting crew sent by the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Barker said. They were able to quickly stop the fire at about 30-by-30 feet in the heavily treed forest.

An investigation determined wind-blown debris from an unattended burn pit ignited the fire in the forest’s pine needles and underbrush, the sergeant said.

Deputies investigating the fire determined the unattended burn pit belonged to a 52-year-old man who lived nearby. He was contacted and taken into custody for the charge off reckless burning and booked into the Deschutes County Jail.

NewsChannel 21 policy is to not name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.

Reckless burning is a Class A misdemeanor in Oregon, with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $6,250.

"The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents that debris burns are banned and prohibited as of June 1st," Barker wrote. "Debris burning is described as: burning with burn barrels, weed burners, field, ditch, and open pile burning. It is always recommended to consult with the fire station in your jurisdiction when considering burning."