LAKEVIEW, Ore. — Three Lane County men have been arraigned on charges stemming from a wildfire that scorched thousands of acres in south-central Oregon last July.
Authorities say the men were at a family gathering near Summer Lake when they added pyrotechnics to targets and shot at the targets. They say it sparked the Ana Fire, which destroyed a hunting cabin.
Lake County District Attorney Sharon Forster previously told The Bulletin newspaper that exploding targets such as Tannerite are legal in Oregon, but attaching fireworks and shooting at them recklessly in dry summer conditions is not.
The defendants are 34-year-old David Evans and 27-year-old Elijah Dyer, both of Springfield, and 68-year-old Gary Bigelow of Walterville. They have been charged with reckless burning, criminal conspiracy and manufacturing of a destructive device.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for next month. Rather than travel to Lakeview, the men may appear by phone.
