Last summer, the Stouts Creek fire burned for more than a month, scorching more than 26,000 acres. Now the men blamed for starting it are expected to reimburse the government the estimated $37 million it cost to put it out.
The wildfire sparked July 30, 2015, forced evacuations and destroyed timber, said Kyle Reed, a fire prevention specialist at the Douglas County Fire Association. Investigators spent months trying to pinpoint the cause, and their research ultimately pointed to the same men: Dominic Decarlo, 70, of Days Creek, and Cloyd Deardorff, 64, of Yuma, Arizona.
The cause? Their lawnmowers.
At the time, fire restrictions barred any mowing between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. The Stouts Creek fire started in the afternoon. Both men were cited for unlawful use of fire, Reed said. Deardorff also was cited for unlawful entry into a restricted forestland area, court records show. Decarlo paid $110 in fines and Deardorff paid $440.
But Oregon also holds individuals financially responsible for fire suppression costs, which in this case comes to at least $37 million.