SAMS VALLEY, Ore. – Police arrested a man for allegedly starting a grass fire in the Sams Valley area.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said on the afternoon of June 26, firefighters responded to a reported grass fire in the 11600 block of Duggan Road north of Upper Table Rock.
Crews were able to quickly contain the fire, which was estimated to be about half-an-acre in size.
Firefighters spoke to a man who lived at the property, later identified as 35-year-old Dusty Brian Korner, but he left unexpectedly.
About 20 minutes after the original call went out, someone at a neighboring property called 911 to report a trespasser. The caller said a man who claimed to have a warrant out for his arrest was hiding in bushes.
When deputies responded to the trespassing call, they found Korner running down Highway 234. He was arrested for failing to appear in court and for failing to register as a sex offender.
According to the sheriff’s office, they determined Korner set fire to debris on the Duggan Road property. The flames then spread to nearby grass. No structures were damaged.
Korner received further charges of reckless burning and criminal trespass.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.