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2020 Phoenix arsonist sentenced, Almeda Fire remains unsolved

 Michael Jarrod Bakkela was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday for starting a fire in Phoenix, Oregon on Sept. 8, 2020.
Jackson County Sheriff's office
Michael Jarrod Bakkela was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday for starting a fire in Phoenix, Oregon on Sept. 8, 2020.

Michael Jarrod Bakkela was sentenced to one count of first-degree arson, sixteen counts of first-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of first-degree animal abuse in Jackson County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and three years of post-prison supervision. Bakkela had entered pleas of no contest on May 4, 2022.

The fire Bakkela started on the afternoon of Sept. 8, 2020 was in Phoenix, Oregon. Arson investigators determined that the fire, located about 15 feet from his truck, was intentionally set. It consumed the vehicle and was spread by the wind. It destroyed two businesses, 14 residences and killed several nearby animals, according to the District Attorney's office.

That fire, however, was separate from the Almeda Fire, which started on the same day and was already burning in the area, but was located further east, according to the DA’s statement.

"Evidence supports that the fire started by Mr. Bakkela never goes east of the railroad tracks running through Phoenix, and the Almeda fire doesn't burn west of those same railroad tracks," the DA's statement reads. "Contrary to the internet speculation and multiple theories being discussed in the community, there is no evidence at this time to indicate Mr. Bakkela had any involvement in igniting the Almeda fire."

The Jackson County District Attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.

The investigation into the Almeda Fire, which tore through the Rogue Valley the same week as numerous other fires in Oregon, is still ongoing.

Copyright 2022 Jefferson Public Radio. To see more, visit Jefferson Public Radio.

Erik Neumann is a radio producer and writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, his work has appeared on public radio stations and in magazines along the West Coast. He received his Bachelor's Degree in geography from the University of Washington and a Master's in Journalism from UC Berkeley. Besides working at KUER, he enjoys being outside in just about every way possible.