Police arrest suspect in tumwata village fire

OREGON CITY -- Oregon City Police Department announced Thursday, June 12, that they arrested Christian Gannon Dukes, 21, of Oregon City for arson in the second degree.

He was arrested for allegedly starting a fire at the former Blue Heron Paper Mill, the Tribe’s tumwata village property in Oregon City, in January.

The 3-alarm fire started in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 30, and closed the highway in both directions from Tumwater Drive to South End Road. All train service was paused as well. It was declared contained later that morning but smoldered for days.

Clackamas Fire District fire investigators were able to determine the location where the fire was started and turned over the criminal investigation to OCPD detectives. Police detectives were able to identify several people who were living at the site and located them for interviews, that ultimately led them to Dukes. Police said that Dukes is accused of starting the fire deliberately.

He was lodged at the Clackamas County Jail in Oregon City and the case has been sent to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Oregon City Police Tip Line at 503-905-3505 or Clackamas County Dispatch Non-Emergency at 503-823-3333, and reference OCPD case number 25-002122.