SPOKANE — Deputies arrested a man suspected of reckless burning Friday night in Elk after they found him stoking a 4-foot bonfire amid county burn bans about 2 1/2 miles from the Oregon Road fire.
Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies found 40-year-old Michael J. Reid placing wood on a 4-foot bonfire around 8:40 p.m. on North Elk Camden Road, according a news release from Mark Gregory, public information officer from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said it appeared Reid was burning railroad ties soaked in oil, and they found an open plastic juice bottle of gasoline sitting 5 feet from the fire.
The area is heavily populated with homes, a restaurant and other structures, the release said. With no water source nearby, deputies said they didn’t see any means to put out the fire quickly.
Deputies were unable to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher, but used a shovel to smother the flames with dirt. They said dry vegetation surrounded the fire, with some weeds growing 3 feet tall.
Deputies noted dried vegetation surrounding the fire pit, and some showed signs of being burnt as embers from the fire fell to the ground.
Spokane County has been under a burn ban since June 30, with all recreational fires and open burning prohibited. Reid claimed he was unaware of the restrictions, according to the release.
Reid repeatedly stated he started the fire, according to the release, and noted the fire was on his property.
Deputies said Reid was “argumentative,” and they eventually arrested him on suspicion of reckless burning, a gross misdemeanor.
The Oregon Road fire burning near the town of Elk at the north edge of Spokane County has burned over 10,800 acres and leveled 126 homes since it started on Aug. 18. It has prompted extensive evacuations and has killed one person. The bonfire was about 21/2 miles west of the Oregon Road fireline.
“All of this makes it almost inconceivable a reasonable person would not have known an open fire like this would present a considerable danger to the surrounding community,” Gregory said in the release.
