‘Pretty brazen:’ Neighbors worry, police step up surveillance after four fires set in Redmond’s Dry Canyon over 10 days
(Update: adding comment from neighbor and Redmond Police)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Redmond police sought the public’s help Monday and have stepped up surveillance while they look for a male suspect in a string of fires intentionally set in the city’s popular Dry Canyon over the past 10 days, all caught and doused by fire crews at small sizes, but sparking neighbors' worry.
Neighbor Kevin Pack expressed concern Monday about the recent blazes and their intentional cause.
"This is a major inland outlet to the canyon for all sorts of people bikers, joggers, pedestrians," he said. "This is the main traffic - the traffic area for our city, middle school and the elementary school."
Pack lives just above the canyon with his family. Around 11:30 on a Saturday night, Pack answered the door to find Redmond police officers, asking if he had a garden hose.
The fires were set on Thursday, Sept. 5, Saturday, Sept. 7, Tuesday, Sept. 10 and Friday, Sept. 13. They were set at or near access points to the Dry Canyon Trail at the end of SW Obsidian Avenue and Pumice Avenue, Lt. Erick Beckwith said.
Beckwith added, “The fires were able to be extinguished quickly by the Redmond Fire Department, and the Redmond Police Department is actively searching for a male suspect.”
The ground was scorched, burned and blackened when NewsChannel 21 visited the site of one of the four fires that started at the bottom of the canyon and and worked its way up the hillside, threatening the homes of neighbors.
"We had our neighbors, one of his bushes got set on fire just a few nights ago," Pack said. "There was another fire down the canyon that threatened a lady's backyard. So, yeah, it's pretty brazen."
Some of the neighbors who spoke Monday to NewsChannel 21 said they were concerned for the safety of their property and their families.
Beckwith said, "It's always concerning when somebody is intentionally starting a fire. That is an immediate risk to the public, and an immediate risk to property also creates a high risk to the responding firefighters and police officers to the area."
"We're hoping that somebody does recognize that person, or knows if somebody's engaging in that behavior and is willing to contact the Redmond Police Department, " the lieutenant added.
Police add they've set up added surveillance and cautioned the public to stay vigilant for the man seen in two released security photos.
Pack said, "We always have to be diligent and looking out for our neighbors, and it just gives us an extra reason to do so."
Police released two photos from surveillance video taken of the latest fire, on Friday night.
Anyone with information regarding the person is asked to contact Redmond Police through Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.
