July 29, 2020 11:00 a.m. 

A Sutherlin man has been arrested for starting six fires in the forest Tuesday night.

Sergeant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said around midnight, deputies were notified that crews with the Douglas Forest Protective Association had been sent to a reported fire northeast of Glide near McComas Creek. O’Dell said when firefighters arrived in the area, they located an individual armed with a machete. He said the man wanted the firefighters to give him a ride into Glide and told them that if they didn’t, he would set additional fires.

Deputies arrived and located 39-year old Jedediah Fulton. O’Dell said the man was still armed with a machete. He was eventually taken into custody and admitted to setting multiple fires. He told deputies that he had been in the forest for about 3 hours.

Fulton was charged with reckless burning, interfering with a firefighter and for menacing. Bail was set at $18,750.

Kyle Reed of DFPA said the largest fire was around a quarter of an acre in size. He said the combined total of all the fires are estimated to be around one acre. Crews remained on the scene of the McComas Creek Fires overnight, mopping up hot spots and securing control lines.