A former Forest Lake firefighter, who was accused of starting a fire that burned nearly 2,000 acres in Columbus and then returning to battle the flames with 200 other firefighters, has pleaded guilty to felony arson.
John Berken, 42, once described as an "exemplary citizen" by a mayor who honored him with a Lifesaving Award, will be sentenced to up to 120 days and fined between $50,000 and $78,000, Anoka County prosecutor Wade Kish said Wednesday.
The April 2009 fire that engulfed more than 2.3 square miles of Anoka County's Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area took two days to extinguish. Cattails and lowland grass were turned into charred stubble. Then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty summoned the National Guard to provide air assistance in extinguishing the fire.
"You can still see charred trees," said DNR forest specialist Jason Kern, who trudged through the area 21 months ago to assess the damage.
Berken entered an Alford plea on Tuesday; under such a plea, a person doesn't admit wrongdoing but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to gain a likely conviction.
Berken remains free until sentencing, scheduled for March 24. His attorney, Marsh Halberg, said Wednesday that there is evidence suggesting Berken did not start the fire, but that his client entered a guilty plea with hope of getting on with his life. He said Berken would not comment publicly before the sentencing.
Background of the case
According to court documents, a father and daughter were driving through the wildlife area in Columbus when the father saw Berken's vehicle and detected something being shot out of the passenger window. The father said he saw flashing colored lights in a ditch and then fire.
