Former rural Sask. firefighter pleads guilty to hay bale arson
Fire crews were called to 20 hay bale fires in the Macklin area last summer
A Macklin, Sask., man who was a member of the same fire department tasked with extinguishing the hay bales he's accused of igniting last summer has pleaded guilty to arson.
Logan Sieben pleaded guilty to one charge of arson causing property damage during a hearing at Unity provincial court on Tuesday. Sentencing is set for March 17.
A series of hay bale fires in the Macklin area last summer mystified residents and the all-volunteer fire department. Fire crews responded to 20 hay bale fires from July 28 to Aug. 25 last year, according to the fire department. Macklin is about 250 kilometres west of Saskatoon.
A cash reward for information about the suspicious fires eventually reached $26,500.
The mystery ended when RCMP arrested Sieben, then 25 years old, on Aug. 26. Sieben was a member of the Macklin fire department at the time.
Sieben still faces two charges — arson with intent to defraud and theft under $5,000 — that could also be dealt with during the appearance scheduled for March 17.