Woman arrested in connection with brush fire at Exit 14 Monday evening

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news 

A third of an acre fire near Exit 14 on Interstate 5 led to an arrest Monday night. 

The fire is believed to have been an escaped cooking fire, not started intentionally, but Jennifer Paulson, 43, was arrested at the scene and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and reckless burning, said Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara. 

“Even if it wasn’t intentional, if it’s done recklessly there is still a crime in that. … Like if you’re recklessly driving, you may not be trying to hurt people or crash into cars, but any reasonable person can know that you’re probably going to hurt someone,” he said.

The fire, first reported at about 8 p.m. Monday, was slow moving and small, and was quickly knocked down by a strong response from firefighters, said Ashland Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Todd Stubbs. A battalion chief, an engine and a brush rig from AF&R responded, along with similar resources from Jackson County Fire District No. 5 and some support from the Oregon Department of Forestry. 

“This time of year, everybody shows up,” Stubbs said. 

Ashland police were backed up by Oregon State Police and officers from Talent, Phoenix and county law enforcement, O’Meara said. 

“Small fires become big fires. Grass fires do get a large response as they should — the Almeda Fire started from a single ignition point and spread,” he said. 

Due to confusion from dispatch about where the fire was located, a battalion chief from District 5 arrived first and was able to get the fire under control with water from his own vehicle, Stubbs said. Knock down of active flames likely took minutes, while mop up of the area took around an hour, he said. 

Paulson has been a resident of the Medford area, rather than a longtime inhabitant of Ashland, O’Meara said. She is believed to be homeless and was lodged in the Jackson County Jail with no posted release date and no bail, according to the jail roster. 

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