MEDFORD, Ore. – A man who lived in the same grassy field as a homeless man accused of causing a massive Oregon wildfire testified that he saw John David Thiry stamping at the ground, "trying to put the fire out."
But John Marler told a Jackson County judge on Tuesday that a fierce wind fanned the fire and everyone nearby just had to run.
The Mail Tribune reports that the 40-year-old Thiry is charged with 10 counts of reckless endangerment and 14 counts of reckless burning in the Aug. 24 fire in Ashland that destroyed 11 homes, causing more than $3 million in property damage.
Thiry has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which are misdemeanors. He also waived his right to a jury trial, so the evidence is being presented to a judge in Medford.
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
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