An unattended burn barrel used to burn trash was the cause of a quarter-acre fire south of Bend Tuesday, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said. Responding deputies also allegedly found a pipe was being used to dump sewage from a trailer into the ground.
Deputies were sent to the location Tuesday afternoon on U.S. Forest Service land near Cabin Butte and Coyote Butte, not far from China Hat Road, DCSO said.
Deputies and USFS law enforcement determined that a burn barrel used to burn trash was left unattended. The fire spread to the surrounding area.
DCSO identified Terry Bass, 57, as the person responsible for the barrel fire and the owner of the trailer. Deputies allegedly saw a drainpipe coming from the trailer and determined it was used to dump sewage.
Bass was cited for offensive littering and third-degree criminal mischief.
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