Burlingame, wanted for starting fires in and near Fossil, was arrested

FOSSIL – (From the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office)

Following a multiple-day operation, Ethan Burlingame was successfully taken into custody by the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office on warrants and additional crimes.

Late on June 4th, 2026, Firefighters saw suspicious lights in the hills north of Fossil. Drone assets from the Yamhill and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices were able to identify multiple power poles that were on fire. Fire crews from the Fossil Volunteer Fire Department, Wheeler Fire and Rescue, and Oregon Department of Forestry responded to deal with the fire.

In the meantime, Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office and multiple Law Enforcement officers from the Oregon State Police, Union, Yamhill and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted a join tactical operation as Lieutenant Calloway of the Oregon State Police was in contact with Burlingame by phone and was able to convince him to surrender peacefully. Burlingame was taken into custody without incident by Sheriff Jeremiah Holmes and later lodged at NORCOR in The Dalles.

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office and community of Fossil are grateful for the assistance received from around the state in locating and apprehending the suspect. In addition to those mentioned above, assistance was received from the Sheriff’s Offices of Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Jefferson, Union, Wasco, and Yamhill counties, the Oregon State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thanks also to the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association and to the many Sheriff’s who reached out with offers of additional resources.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information that may aid in the investigation and piecing together Burlingame’s movements and activities over the last few days is encouraged to contact the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office at 541-763-4101 or Dispatch at 541-384-2080.

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