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ASHLAND, Ore. – The man accused of lighting his car on fire near Emigrant Lake just minutes after the Almeda Fire began pleaded guilty to arson.
Firefighters found California man Vance Nguyen’s car on fire just feet from nearby brush on windy September 8th, 2020.
Firefighters tell us the direction of the winds that day prevented the fire from spreading.
Nguyen was sentenced to four years in prison.
The investigation into who or what started the Almeda Fire is ongoing.
Another man was arrested for starting a second fire that day in Phoenix that merged with the original Almeda Fire. That man, Michael Bakkela, is facing numerous charges including arson, and animal abuse, among others.
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