Oregon Suspect Accused Of Igniting Wildfires Tied To Tree By Residents

MARIEL, OR — A man suspected of sparking two wildfires Monday in rural Oregon was subdued by three residents and tied to a tree as they waited for law enforcement officers to arrive.

Fires were reported at Rogue River Ranch and Mariel Lodge in Mariel, Oregon, around 1:45 p.m. Monday, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The lodge and ranch is located deep into the northeast portion of Curry County and can only be accessed via river or roads owned by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

A land management worker said a man was walking along a gravel road that leads towards the lodge and ranch, starting fires, authorities said.

Firefighting and law enforcement agencies were called to put out the flames and find the suspect. A witness reported seeing two separate fires.

Three helicopters were sent to the blazes as ground teams, including residents, quickly contained the two fires.

Three residents found Trennon Smith, 30, of Veneta, walking on a road near the fires and detained him until law enforcement arrived, authorities said.

When Smith became combative, the residents tied him to a tree, the sheriff's office said. He was hurt falling down and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Smith was booked into the Curry County Jail on Tuesday on two counts of first-degree arson, authorities said.

Smith also faces a probation violation out of Lane County.

John Ward, the Curry County Sheriff, praised the efforts to quickly extinguish the fires, saying they “most certainly averted a catastrophe and saved lives.”

“If the fires had not been contained and if they got out of control, they could have blocked all the residents and visitors from having an escape route," he said.