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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Rogue Valley doctor runs for governor on climate change platform ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... Rogue Valley doctor runs for governor on climate change platform ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... COURT Prosecutors now say Boles fire was not intentional arson Wildfire destroyed 143 homes, forced evacuations Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 1, 2015 at 6:59 PM Posted Jul. 1, 2015 at 6:59 PM » Social News YREKA, Calif. (AP) — A 25-year-old Northern California man has pleaded guilty to starting a wildfire that destroyed 157 homes and other structures in the city of Weed in September and forced thousands of residents to evacuate. However, prosecutors now say they do not believe he intended for it to cause damage. Ronald Beau Marshall entered the plea in state court on Tuesday to a felony charge of recklessly causing what came to be called the Boles fire that burned buildings and forestland, The Siskiyou Daily News reports. Prosecutors and law enforcement officials arrested Marshall three weeks after the blaze was spotted on Sept. 15 near an apartment building where the Weed resident once lived. He originally was charged with multiple counts of arson. Investigators initially alleged that Marshall appeared to have started a small fire in hopes that it would spread to the apartment complex. Siskiyou County District Attorney Kirk Andrus told the Daily News that further investigation showed that Marshall did not intend to cause the wildfire, which flared out of an early morning campfire he told authorities he made to keep warm. "Calling this fire an arson in the classic sense would not be accurate, in that the evidence shows that he did not light a fire with the intention to cause the damage that resulted," Andrus said. Marshall faces a state prison sentence of six years when he is sentenced on July 28 — three years for the reckless burning charge and another three because the 516-acre blaze damaged or destroyed multiple structures, the district attorney said. He has been jailed on $2.5 million bail since his Oct. 11 arrest. Weed is a city of 3,000 residents about 50 miles south of the Oregon border. A saw mill there that is one of Siskiyou County's largest employers was among the structures damaged in the wildfire. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 1, 2015 at 6:59 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501