A 45-year-old Bend man was arrested for arson and criminal mischief after witnesses say he intentionally set fire in downtown Bend.
At around 2:58 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, Bend Police responded to downtown Bend on a report that a man was attempting to set a bush on fire in the alley behind the Post Office Plaza building in the 700 block of NW Wall Street.
Witnesses reported that once the bush was on fire, the man left the scene and hid nearby. Officers responded and worked with Bend Fire & Rescue to extinguish the fire, which had spread to the exterior wall of the building.
Officers detained the man, who had lighters in his front pocket. He was arrested and transported to the Deschutes County Jail on charges of second-degree arson and second-degree criminal mischief.
Just in the past week, local law enforcement agencies and fire departments have responded to multiple fires in the area that could have heavily damaged our community. These are preventable, and everyone must be responsible to keep Bend safe from fire.
