Men indicted following Oregon wildfire

BEND, Ore. (AP) — Three men will face felony charges for starting a central Oregon wildfire by shooting at exploding targets, according to prosecutors.

Lake County District Attorney Sharon Forster told The Bend Bulletin on Friday that a grand jury indicted Elijah Dyer, Gary Bigelow and David Evans.

Authorities say the men, who are from the Eugene-Springfield area, were visiting central Oregon for a family gathering on July 8.

“All three of them were involved,” Forster said. “They added pyrotechnics to the exploding targets.”

The wildfire that followed consumed about 9 square miles and destroyed one hunting cabin and outbuilding. Forster said the amount of restitution is still being determined.

Each man faces charges of felony manufacturing of a destructive device, felony criminal conspiracy and six counts of misdemeanor reckless burning. It’s not clear if the men had attorneys.

Forster said exploding targets are legal in Oregon, but attaching fireworks and shooting at them in dry conditions is prohibited.