Tipsheet

Police Arrest Several Suspects on the West Coast for Arson

Beth Baumann
Beth Baumann  |  September 14, 2020 8:10 PM

The left continually tells us that "climate change" is the reason behind wildfires. In fact, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) even went so far as saying we should call them "climate fires." 

Most of the West Coast – Washington State, Oregon, California, and Idaho – are on fire. And while no one in the media is talking about it, police are arresting arsonists for sparking some of these dangerous fires.

Oregon - Almeda Fire

A 41-year-old man was arrested in Oregon for starting one of the two origins of the Almeda fire, located just outside of Medford. Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office spokesman Rich Tyler said Michael Jarrod Bakkela started one of the fires, which eventually merged to create one giant wildfire.

Neighbors saw Bakkela set a fire outside of his home. When the blaze grew out of control, those neighbors had to flee the scene, Oregon Live reported. When the Jackson County Sheriff's Department arrived on scene, they saw Bakkela standing next to a large fire.

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According to the Record Searchlight, roughly 80,000 people had to evacuate because of the fire that has destroyed more than 5,700 acres. Bakkela is being held on 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangerment. Four people have died from the Almeda fire.

Oregon - Brush Fires

Portland authorities arrested 45-year-old Domingo Lopez, Jr. for allegedly starting a brush fire with a Molotov cocktail. He ignited the device along I-205 but firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before the fire grew out of control. 

A witness came forward, pointing out Lopez as the suspect. When confronted, Lopez reportedly admitted to starting the fire, KATU-TV reported.

Lopez was released Monday. It wasn't long before authorities arrested him again for starting six more brush fires along I-205. Portland Fire put out three of the fires while members of the community put out the other three. 

Authorities took Lopez to a nearby hospital for a mental health evaluation. They are also considering what charges to press against the arsonist. He did, however, receive six citations for reckless burning. 

California 

A woman in Monterey County, California was arrested on suspicion of intentionally starting fires along the 101 freeway. The woman was identified as 37-year-old Anita Esquivel, KION-TV reported.

Washington State

Washington State Troopers in Puyallup arrested multiple people attempting to start fires along the interstate. 

According to KIRO-TV, a bystander Facebook Lived the second incident.

“I’m out here on 167 right now,” the man said in the live stream. " Looks like a fire literally just started and I just rolled up on it and it looks like it’s going crazy. I’m here with the police and they’re talking to me about it because I just called it in."

The man reportedly pulled up, poured gasoline next to a business and set it on fire.

Despite these cases of arson, it's important to note the FBI in Portland hasn't directly tied Antifa to the fires.

And remember, the El Dorado Fire in California started on accident, during a gender reveal party. The couple doing throwing the party used a pyrotechnic device that displays a colored smoke.

Regardless of who started these fires or why, these need to be part of the conversation. Automatically attributing wildfires to climate change alone and not acknowledging other factors is irresponsible. And it's a way for the left to push their Green New Deal agenda. 

Just look at what former Vice President Joe Biden is running with, as recently as today:

Editor's Note: This piece has been updated with clarifications about these cases and their roles in the wildfires occurring on the West Coast recently. While it is important to discuss these incidents of arson, they are only a small factor. Other contributing factors include weather conditions and forest management.