Man arrested in Portland after using Molotov cocktail to start brush fire, gets released and immediately re-offends

A man is facing charges of reckless burning and second-degree disorderly conduct after Portland police say he used a Molotov cocktail to start a massive brush fire along Interstate 205, KATU reports.

First responders arrived to the scene in the 9600 block of East Burnside after 4:30pm on Sunday. Firefighters quickly extinguished a section of grass that was ablaze along the freeway.

An hour after the call, a witness phoned the police department to point out the suspect. According to the witness the man was living in a nearby tent. Domingo Lopez Jr confessed he caused the fire after creating a Molotov cocktail out of a plastic bottle and a wick. Police said they recovered what was left of the bottle and have marked it as evidence.

Lopez was booked in the Multnomah County Detention Center then arrested.

In a strange reoccurrence, Lopez was arrested again on Monday for starting six more small fires along the highway at around 3:30am and rebooked. They found Lopez walking along the side of the highway with a lighter. Half of the fires were put out by the fire department and the other half by members of the community.

Arson investigators are determining if other charges are warranted and Lopez was transported to a hospital while on hold for a mental health evaluation. He was issued additional citations for six counts of reckless burning.