OREGON CITY, Ore. — The man accused of starting a fire at the old Blue Heron Paper Mill in Oregon City back in 2020 was convicted on multiple counts in Clackamas County Circuit Court last week.
30-year-old Enrique Mejia was found guilty of arson in the first degree, arson in the second degree, burglary in the second degree, criminal trespassing in the second degree and disorderly conduct in the second degree.
According to Clackamas County Fire District #1, a passerby noticed "nefarious activity" at the former Blue Heron mill from a nearby lookout on Dec. 5, 2020. Officers from the Oregon City Police Department responded to the scene.
Officers found and detained Mejia after searching the property, but they soon noticed smoke emanating from one of the buildings. Though firefighters were called in to respond, the incident quickly grew into a three-alarm fire — drawing in fire crews from multiple agencies.
About a half-hour into the firefight, officials said, with firefighters on the roof and inside of the mill, an emergency order came over the radio to evacuate the building. Shortly after, the southeast corner of the fourth floor collapsed, leaving the rest of the building "unstable and dangerous."
"We came dangerously close to losing multiple firefighters that day,” recalled Battalion Chief Jonathan Schierman.
Clackamas Fire said that its ongoing, high-level training helped crews to recognize the peril they were in and act accordingly.
Fire investigator and 39-year fire service veteran Rich Stenhouse was called to the scene to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Clackamas Fire noted that the circumstances around the investigation were "peculiar," but a human element had to have been involved.
"It has always been rewarding to hold individuals accountable for their actions that endanger the lives of firefighters,” Steinhouse said.
Clackamas Fire District #1 has six fire investigators who work out of the fire marshal's office. When necessary, fire investigators are called to testify in court in order to support their findings.
Court documents show that Mejia waived his right to a jury trial and was instead slated for a bench trial last week, ending with his conviction. His sentencing is scheduled to take place in late May of this year.