3 Vancouver men accused of starting Woodland wildfire

Three Vancouver men who were allegedly shooting propane bottles have been arrested in connection with the Colvin Creek Fire, which burned forest land near Woodland this week.

Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies announced early Saturday morning they had arrested Michael J. Estrada-Cardenas, 22; Nathan C. Taylor, 21, and Adrian D. Taylor, 23, on suspicion of first-degree reckless burning, a felony. All are being held in the Cowlitz County Jail without bail, pending a first court appearance. In addition to jail time, under state law they could be ordered to repay the cost of firefighting efforts.

The fire began July 19. Deputies say the three men shot four 16-ounce propane bottles in a forested area off Frederickson Road, east of Woodland, on a day when temperatures reached the high 90s and it hadn’t rained in weeks.

After they shot the bottles with a .223 caliber A/R rifle, a 12 gauge shotgun and a 9mm pistol, they realized they had started a fire, according to deputies. They allegedly tried to put the flames out before they departed, but left some embers still burning, according to deputies.

The fire was reported that afternoon. The Colvin Creek Fire burned 129 acres before being declared contained Friday. The fire did not threaten any structures, but fighting it required the deployment of wildland firefighting crews from around the region.

The case is being investigated by Cowlitz sheriff’s Deputy Lorenzo Gladson and Senior Fire Investigator Albert Kassel of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The case was solved by analyzing a combination of evidence found at the scene and interviews of several people, according to the sheriff’s office.