HUNTINGTON, Oregon — Oregon police have arrested a man and charged him with arson after several buildings in Huntington went up in flames Thursday night.
Police say they responded to a disturbance around 10:45 p.m. When they arrived, the victim told them a man, identified as Raynmon Haze Garcia, had told her he was going to burn a bar down.
Garcia had left before law enforcement had arrived, but officers contacted him and determined no crime had been committed during the disturbance.
About 11:40 p.m. one of the officers noticed smoke coming from the area of the bar, called Grady's Tavern. Huntington firefighters say by the time they arrived on the scene, Grady's Tavern, Howell's Cafe, and Streamliner Lounge were fully engulfed.
The officers located Garcia, who was still in the area, and placed him under arrest.
Garcia was arrested and charged with Arson I. The investigation is ongoing.
Officials say US30 in downtown Huntington will be closed for a "potentially extended period" because of the fire. One of the buildings is a multi-story building that is fairly old, and officials say it is at risk of collapsing onto the highway.
It is unclear when the highway will reopen.
