BEAR VALLEY — The leader of a Forest Service crew conducting a prescribed burn in a remote area of Grant County was arrested on charges of reckless burning after the fire spread across a containment line onto private land on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Forest Service and contract employees had been conducting burn operations throughout the day on a 300-acre area of the Malheur National Forest about seven miles north of Seneca.

A little before 5 p.m, a spot fire was reported on private land just across the Izee-Paulina Highway from the burn area.

As the fire was actively burning on the Holliday family’s Windy Point Ranch, Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley arrived on the scene and took Rick Snodgrass, 39, who was acting as the burn boss on the fire crew, into custody.

Snodgrass was transported to the Grant County Jail and was later released.

The sheriff’s office said in a brief press release Thursday that it was working with the Forest Service to identify the events that led to the fire’s escape and that the incident remains under investigation.

Malheur National Forest Supervisor Craig Trulock said the escaped portion of the fire on private land was contained in about an hour, with crews remaining on the scene to mop up any hotspots or flare-ups.

“They caught it with the resources they had on scene,” Trulock said. “We didn’t use aviation or anything. The only additional resource we brought on was (a) dozer, and that was to really secure the edge of the spot so that they could then mop it up.”

Estimates of the extent of the fire on private land vary.

Trulock placed the total burned acreage on private land at 18 acres, while the sheriff’s office said it was approximately 20 acres. Chad Holliday of Windy Point Ranch estimated the total area as 40 acres.

Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter issued a press release Thursday evening stating that he would make a decision on whether to formally file charges after the sheriff’s investigation is finished.

“This case will be evaluated once the investigation is complete, and, if appropriate, Snodgrass will formally be charged. These cases rarely have a bright line and involve a number of variables to be considered,” Carpenter said.

“However, to be clear, the employer and/or position of Snodgrass will not protect him if it is determined that he acted recklessly,” the district attorney added. “That the USFS was engaging in a prescribed burn may actually raise, rather than lower, the standard to which Snodgrass will be held.” 

This is a developing story.