Oregon man with long criminal past allegedly set 18,000 acre fire

A man with a long criminal record faces serious charges for starting the 18,000-acre Larch Creek Fire.

In early September, the fire brought thick smoke to the Portland area.

Christopher Michael Mennealy was arrested on September 18 after failing to appear in court two days earlier.

The 51-year-old was indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree arson and negligent arson.

He is accused of occupying private property on July 9 and then setting fire to it.

These flames developed into the Larch Creek Fire, which burned 7,500 hectares of land.

KATU investigated Mennealy's criminal past and found a long case number dating back to 1990.

These are administrative offenses and a felony for fleeing from police officers. However, the crime has not yet been solved and he has not yet been convicted.

Mennealy has never been charged with arson.

“The prosecution must also prove that the defendant committed the crime intentionally. That doesn't just mean that he committed the crime, but that he committed the crime with intent. With reckless arson, on the other hand, no intent is required. Just recklessness is enough,” said Tung Yin, a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School. He says the prosecution could try to convict the man of either crime. “If the jury decides, 'No, we don't believe the defendant acted intentionally, then they would acquit him of second-degree arson and convict him of reckless arson.'”

Official estimates from the fire put the damage at over $15 million.

This number could be even higher the longer it takes teams to fully contain the situation.

Portland Fire & Rescue commented on additional impacts from man-made fires and sent this statement to KATU:

“The human, environmental and financial impacts extend well beyond the immediate area of ​​a large human-caused wildfire. Such fires require significant resources to contain and control, naturally drawing on what is available to other jurisdictions as equipment and personnel are deployed and committed to assist.”

After Governor Tina Kotek signed a firefighting bill on July 9, Portland-area firefighters were dispatched to protect buildings during the Larch Creek Fire.