JANUARY 10, 2025|
Photo – Lawrence Property fire – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Rawlins City Council has voted to pursue damages from the person accused of starting the Lawrence Property fire.
City resident Jordan Shafer was cited for causing the July 6th fire, which burned approximately four and a half acres in the center of town north of Cedar Street.
On July 6, 2024, around 7:30 p.m., the Rawlins Fire Department responded to a call about a grass fire at the Lawrence Salvage Yard on East Spruce Street. A five-month long investigation determined that the fire was caused by illegal fireworks.
The resulting investigation led to Shafer being ticketed for negligently burning property and using illegal fireworks.
During the January 7th Rawlins city council meeting, City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave explained that the resulting fire blaze was the largest in the city’s history. Due to the cost of battling the blaze, the city attorney said Carbon County Prosecutor Sarah Harkins asked if the governing body would like to seek financial restitution from Shafer.
Maberry-Nave provided a breakdown of the cost to respond and extinguish the fire. The city attorney said the Rawlins Fire Department spent $13,828 to extinguish the flames.
The July 6th fire also destroyed the fence surrounding the Lawrence Salvage Yard. Attorney Maberry-Nave explained that state statute requires all industrial sites be enclosed by a non-transparent barrier. The city attorney said replacing the legally required fence will cost the Rawlins Public Works Department approximately $12,200.
Additionally, the Rawlins Fire Department used approximately 500,000 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. Attorney Maberry-Nave explained that, under the city’s current rates, the water usage amounts to $2,300.
In total, Maberry-Nave estimated that the July 6th fire cost the city $31,490.
Councilman Derek Elliott said the fire may have benefited the city by exposing non-functional hydrants in the area. Fire Chief Alan Robinson responded, saying that all the hydrants worked as expected. The problem, Chief Robinson said, was that firefighters were unable to disconnect their hose from a faulty hydrant.
Councilman Elliot stated that Shafer’s alleged negligent use of fireworks indirectly benefited the city in other ways. The governing body voted to purchase the Lawrence Salvage Yard with the intention of preparing the property for future development. Elliot mentioned that the fire might have enabled the city to acquire the land at a lower price and provided valuable training for the city’s fire department.
The council did not respond to Elliot’s comments.
Attorney Maberry-Nave suggested adopting an ordinance that automatically seeks damages caused by illegal activity. The city attorney explained that municipalities across the country have similar laws in place and provided examples of instances where individuals were charged large sums of money for fire-related crimes.
The council approved a motion to seek $31,490.05 in damages from Jordan Shafer for costs incurred during the July 6th fire. Shafer originally pled not guilty to the charge of illegal use of fireworks and was scheduled to be tried in Carbon County Circuit Court on January 16th. However, the subject changed his plea to guilty and will not undergo a jury trial.
Bigfoot99 will continue following the story and report back when more information is available.
