One person pled guilty, another facing trial over propane tank fire that injured three

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

A woman seriously burned in a January fire on the Ashland “night lawn” camping area for the homeless is healing from her serious injuries, but her fiancé remains in intensive care. One of the two people arrested in the incident pled guilty and been released, while another remains in jail awaiting trial.

Karen Greenwood had third-degree burns on her face and right hand, and fourth-degree burns on her left hand. She lost her eyebrows, eyelashes and some hair on her head during an altercation that led to a propane tank explosion on Jan. 16 on the city of Ashland’s dusk-to-dawn sleeping area, also known as the night lawn, behind the Ashland Police Department and City Council chamber complex at 1175 E. Main St.

Greenwood had surgery for skin grafts and was hospitalized for a month at Legacy Burn Center in Portland. She has been overjoyed to see her face heal with “minimal scarring,” she told Ashland.news in a recent interview.

“The first time I saw it in the mirror, I started crying,” she said. 

She said she returned to Ashland to reunite with her service dog, Missy, who will also need medical care. Missy was burned and has had breathing problems since the fire. 

The altercation happened outside the tent Greenwood was sharing with her fiancé, Rick Bevel. 

“I don’t really remember much,” she said. “I don’t know how it started. I heard yelling, and then I saw the propane tank. I got my dog out, I tried to get Rick out, and the next thing I know I’m waking up in a hospital, in pain, confused.” 

One of Bevel’s legs is amputated below the knee, which made it difficult for him to escape the burning tent. Greenwood said Bevel had been hospitalized for pneumonia a week before the fire and had just recently asked her to marry him.

Bevel has been treated for burns, but smoke inhalation has kept him in intensive care. He has been unable to breathe on his own. Doctors are trying to wean him off a breathing tube. 

Greenwood has been told that, if he can become stable enough to move, he will likely be transferred to a long-term care facility. 

“Rick may never recover. That’s the hardest part. I love the man, he’s the sweetest man I’ve ever known,” she said. 

Jocelyn Christopher Cotner, 47, and Noah Rey Brennan, 19, were both arrested following the Jan. 16 altercation. Both were lodged in the Jackson County Jail with identical charges: two felony charges of second-degree assault, an additional felony charge of third-degree assault, and misdemeanor charges of menacing and reckless endangering. 

Cotner pleaded not guilty to all charges, has a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 29 and is being held in the Jackson County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to court records. 

Brennan initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, then pled guilty to third-degree assault and was convicted. All other charges were dismissed and he was released on probation Feb. 6 and ordered to pay $10,945.35 in restitution to the state, according to court documents. 

City of Ashland cameras aimed at the night lawn were used in charging Cotner and Brennan, according to an affidavit written by arresting officer Larissa Six of the Ashland Police Department. After transporting the suspects to jail, Six went to the hospital and “observed burn injuries to the three parties,” hospitalized by the altercation, the affidavit said. Six noted the third victim, Chris Smith, was unconscious and intubated with burns and a cut on his head. 

Greenwood said she has considered consulting legal counsel about seeking compensation for her injuries. When asked about the city’s liability for the space, Interim City Manager Sabrina Cotta referred to the city’s insurance policy and its posted rules. 

“The City does have insurance on the space to match its current use for houseless camping. … The City has posted rules and the expectation for those staying at the site is that they follow those rules to ensure everyone using the site is being a good neighbor and ensure the safety of those using the space,” she said in an email. 

The city has posted rules on two metal signs in the area and on its website since the sleeping area was created May 12, 2023. Those who are unable or unwilling to follow the rules are not welcome to use the space, Cotta said. 

Greenwood still visits the night lawn to stay in contact with friends. But for her, it’s now overwhelming to be there longer than 10 minutes or so, she said. Even before the fire, it was a difficult place to sleep. The portable toilets and dumpster provided by the city were not emptied often enough, she said, and the space has been plagued by rats. 

“There’s no rest. The rats. You can hear’em all night. They get into everything. Your clothes, your food, everything. … My dog would be up all night chasing rats,” she said. 

Even duct tape did not keep rats from chewing through and defecating in her dog’s food. Greenwood said she routinely went to Street Dogs and other charities seeking additional dog food. Those living on the Night Lawn have no way to cook and most are using food stamps, limiting them to cold pre-prepared food which the rats also frequently destroy. 

Greenwood said she is searching for alternative shelter, but is struggling to find any.  

Night lawn unstable, advocate and officer say 

Debbie Niesewander, a self-appointed advocate for Ashland’s homeless population, said she has watched the situation on the night lawn grow tense. One guest had been “manic” and without mental health care. He was threatening other guests, she said, until his recent arrest. He was charged with assault after an altercation with another homeless individual at the Ashland Public Library. 

“I knew that was going to happen. … All of a sudden, all of us on the night lawn, we’re mental health care workers,” she said. 

Ashland Police Officer Jason Billings referred to the Jan. 16 propane tank fire as “horrific.” He said he wished the sleeping area had some structure, such as a camp host. The Ashland police department has 32 staff members, including sargeants and command staff. When asked about patrol, he said officers work 12 hour shifts with between three to six officers on duty to cover the entire city. 

Many of those staying on the night lawn are in need of but don’t have access to mental health and addiction treatment, or other services, Niesewander said. 

Nathan Yannetta had just returned to the night lawn after a stay at the big OHRA shelter on Ashland Street. 

“I told’em straight up, I’m tired of this public image, ‘Oh let’s make it look like we’re doing something,’’” he said. 

Yanetta said he grew up in Ashland and has been homeless intermittently since he was 19. He worked for Grayback Forestry on controlled burns in the Ashland watershed. Now he has seizures that make it difficult to work. He expressed frustration at a “corrupt establishment” because his neurologist will not prescribe CBD for his seizures. He stated he has severe dyslexia and cannot read text and comprehend it at the same time. 

“They want us to look like we’re just f— it all off, they want us all to appear to be those junkies and put us all in those little boxes and categorize us. Can’t categorize me,” Yanetta said. 

When asked if the city intends to make changes to the night lawn, Cotta, the interim city manager, said not at this time, but that additional cameras have been installed. In offering the space, she said the city is moving into uncharted territory in response to the growing problem of homelessness. 

“The city, like many cities in our area, is offering solutions that are not typically offered by cities. We are navigating through providing new services,” she said. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].