FILE - Crews work to extinguish a fire at the former Blue Heron paper mill in Oregon City on Jan. 30, 2025.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
A 22-year-old man will serve 60 months in prison for setting the former Blue Heron paper mill in Oregon City on fire earlier this year.
Christian Gannon Dukes pled guilty Thursday in a Clackamas County courtroom to arson in the first degree.
Officials with the Clackamas County’s District Attorney’s office say Dukes admitted to starting the fire by stacking a pile of paper several feet high on the floor of the abandoned wooden-building and then igniting it with a Bic lighter.
Related: Cleanup underway at former Blue Heron paper mill damaged by fire
He told investigators that he was upset because he believed some of his belongings had been stolen by transient people who camped on the property, according to the district attorney’s office.
“This fire created a very dangerous situation and put many people in harm’s way,” said Deputy District Attorney John Millar, who prosecuted the case.
The fire destroyed the three-story building, injured three firefighters and took nearly 200 fire personnel to extinguish.
As part of his plea agreement, Dukes’ other charges were dismissed. Officials say restitution has not been set and will be addressed at a future hearing.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, which purchased the paper mill site in 2019, is working to turn the area into a mixed-used district.
