Suspect Arrested for Arson in West Eugene Brush Fires
EUGENE, OR – On July 22, 2025, Eugene Springfield Fire (ESF) responded to two separate arson-related brush fires in west Eugene along Beltline, with Eugene Police Department (EPD) later arresting a suspect linked to the incidents.
The first fire, reported around 1:15 PM near Beltline East and Roosevelt Boulevard, initially spanned a quarter-acre but grew to approximately one acre due to windy conditions. ESF deployed multiple units, including Engine 8, Brush 10, and Battalion 2, to extinguish the fire, which threatened nearby campsites in grass and blackberry patches. Later that day, at around 4:00 PM, ESF crews tackled a second fire near the Fern Ridge bike path, which burned about a quarter-acre. No injuries were reported in either incident.
EPD’s Arson Team investigated the fires, one of which damaged a woman’s tent and belongings near Roosevelt Boulevard, approximately 30 feet from the first fire’s origin. The second fire, located east of the camps, was extinguished about 50 yards away after burning roughly three acres.
On July 27, EPD officers, including a member of the Arson Team, located and arrested 36-year-old Darren Charles Taft behind a store at 4740 Royal Avenue, where he was subject to a trespass order. Taft faces charges of Arson in the First Degree (Case 25-11709). The EPD and Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate the cause of the fires.
The first fire, reported around 1:15 PM near Beltline East and Roosevelt Boulevard, initially spanned a quarter-acre but grew to approximately one acre due to windy conditions. ESF deployed multiple units, including Engine 8, Brush 10, and Battalion 2, to extinguish the fire, which threatened nearby campsites in grass and blackberry patches. Later that day, at around 4:00 PM, ESF crews tackled a second fire near the Fern Ridge bike path, which burned about a quarter-acre. No injuries were reported in either incident.
EPD’s Arson Team investigated the fires, one of which damaged a woman’s tent and belongings near Roosevelt Boulevard, approximately 30 feet from the first fire’s origin. The second fire, located east of the camps, was extinguished about 50 yards away after burning roughly three acres.
On July 27, EPD officers, including a member of the Arson Team, located and arrested 36-year-old Darren Charles Taft behind a store at 4740 Royal Avenue, where he was subject to a trespass order. Taft faces charges of Arson in the First Degree (Case 25-11709). The EPD and Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate the cause of the fires.
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