One of the wildfires devastating Oregon forests is being probed as a possible arson after human remains were found as the death toll from historic blazes ravaging the West Coast climbed to at least 23, with dozens still missing early Friday.
The fire that started in Ashland and destroyed more than 600 homes and more than 3,000 acres of land is an “active criminal investigation” after two bodies were found, Jackson County Sheriff Nate Sickler told the Medford Mail Tribune.
“We are still in the early stages,” Sickler said of his department’s Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit. “Nothing’s been ruled out,” he said of the fire that spread “at an extreme rate” after starting Tuesday.
Ashland police chief Tighe O’Meara also told Reuters that ‘the devastating blaze dubbed the Almeda fire was being treated as suspicious.’
“We have good reason to believe that there was a human element to it,” the chief said. “We’re going to pursue it as a criminal investigation until we have reason to believe that it was otherwise.”
Officials did not offer more detail on how the bodies were thought to be connected to arson but dispelled online rumors that it was tied to militants who have left Portland under siege.
Incredibly alarming, bleak portrait of American life right now: Catastrophic wildfires are burning across Oregon and officials are begging people to evacuate. Some residents refuse to leave bc of nonsense rumors "antifa's in town" and causing the fires https://t.co/VqUT4UeCt5 pic.twitter.com/dbqwNF9ciV
— Mark Berman (@markberman) September 11, 2020
The arson probe came as officials feared two of the Beaver State’s largest blazes — called the Beachie Creek and Riverside fires — were feared to be about to combine, The Oregonian said.
“We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state,” Gov. Kate Brown told a press conference, as at least 500,000 people above 10% the state’s population have been forced to evacuate.
The death toll rose Thursday to at least 23 as more than 100 major fires consumed land across Oregon, Washington and California.
In California, the North Complex fire became the state’s deadliest blaze of the year as 10 people were confirmed dead by Thursday with at least 16 people missing.
Arsonists (ANTIFA?) starting mostly peaceful forest fires in Oregon…… https://t.co/1L35oKdV1S
— Sandy Welch (@Cult45Boomer) September 11, 2020
More than four people with critical burns were hospitalized from the blaze that tore through Sierra Nevada foothills so quickly that fire crews were nearly engulfed, and the town of Berry Creek, population 525, was completely burned to the ground.
The Golden State remains the worst hit, with at least 19 confirmed dead.
“It’s a historic season on top of a historic season that replaced a historic season. We just keep setting new precedents, and then we keep destroying them,” said Sean Norman, a battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
If Antifa wants to be arsonists, start burning these bastards at the stake.
Start going on arson patrol everynight see if we can catch one of theses bastards in the middle of their bullshit and put a single solid round right thru the forehead. Amen
That’s too good for them, and a waste of good ammo. Let them die slowly in the same kind of flames they enjoy destroying others with.
Right
Don’t waste a bullet on them
Push them into what they started
https://youtu.be/UgWefBdS-ec I saw this on Twitter
Where? Who? Any background on this?
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We always talk about the human death toll… what about theses devils burning millions upon millions of animals to death and destroying their habitat… murderers just the same!!! I want to be the first to put a bullet in their head!!!
Stand in line..