Arsonists Behind Several Devastating West Coast Fires, Authorities Say
Summer has been very hot in the U.S. as parts of the West Coast are literally burning with wildfires.
Some say climate change is the problem, but law enforcement agencies are discovering some of these fires to be man-made.
In Oregon, Washington and California, we’ve seen multiple arrests and charges for arson in September so far.
Three men have been charged for arson in Oregon. Two of the fires set have caused great devastation over many acres of forest and Oregonian homes.
ABC News reported that Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, received “two charges of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangering for a fire that was set [Sept. 8] in the Phoenix area in southern Oregon.”
Police believe the fire caused by Bakkela compounded on the already burning Alameda Fire, bringing the destruction of “numerous homes.”
The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington, reported the arrest and charge of Elias Newton Pendergrass, 44, on Sept. 1 for a fire near Mapleton, Oregon. He “faces a charge of first-degree arson.” The Sweet Creek Fires have destroyed more than 500 acres and caused emergency evacuations.
The Hill reported yet another first-degree arson charge against Jason Maas, 44, who “allegedly started a fire in the woods near the frisbee golf course at Dexter State Recreation Area on [Sept. 9].”
“We are thankful for the community members who spotted and extinguished the fire before it was able to hurt anyone or cause any structure damage,” the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said.
@LaneSheriffOR has arrested 44 year old Jonathan Maas in connection with a brush fire (~5ft in diameter) set in the Dexter area on 9/9/20. Thank you to the kind folks who spotted the fire and extinguished it! (This incident is NOT related to the Holiday Farm/McK fire.) pic.twitter.com/Ld4H35nqFR
— Lane County Sheriff (@LaneSheriffOR) September 11, 2020
In Washington, “Puyallup police and state troopers arrested a 36-year-old Puyallup man [Sept. 9] for allegedly starting a large brushfire which temporarily shut down state Route 167 and several ramps near Meridian Avenue,” KIRO-TV reported.
Joint team effort!! WSP, Fife Pd and Puyallup PD just arrested a 36yr old Puyallup resident. He was caught in the median on SR-167@ Meridian setting a fire! He is currently on his way to jail! Great job everybody!#playstupidgames pic.twitter.com/8N3wHcT5kJ
— Trooper Ryan Burke (@wspd1pio) September 9, 2020
Luckily, the fire was stopped before any damage was done to a nearby business.
And on Sept. 7, according to KION-TV, a woman named Anita Esquivel, 37, was “booked into the Monterey County Jail [for] arson” in Salinas, California.
None of these arsonists have any proven connection with one another or any identifiable political motive for their crimes as of now. But why is there such an interest in burning American forests and neighborhoods?
We’ve seen the glorification of Black Lives Matter’s violent behavior by both the media and leftist politicians as some way of furthering an anti-America narrative — that American culture needs transformation that must be done by Democrats.
So what liberal narrative could the persistent presence of wildfires push?
Well, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, per his pre-recorded speech for the Democratic National Convention, used the California fires as not only a case for proving climate change but also as justification to protect incoming federal funding in light of President Trump’s alleged threats to cut them.
“Climate change is real,” said Newsom. “If you are in denial about climate change, come to California … Just today the president of the United States threatened the state of California … to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he said we hadn’t raked enough leaves.”
Hammering on his political point, Newsom continued: “There is so much at stake in this election … so let us resolve … that we do everything in our power to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into the White House in January 2021.”
Climate change has been one of many partisan wedges used in an attempt to funnel votes for the Biden-Harris presidential campaign.
How convenient it is that America wildly burns during an election year.
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