Crime Stoppers of Oregon / Salem Reporter
On December 10th, a complaint was filed by the Salem – Keizer School District against a construction contractor for failure to secure a construction site at Waldo Middle School allowing an arsonist to set fire to materials at the building. The property destruction will delay work on school renovations. The complaint is seeking $81,588 in damages plus attorney fees from Triplett Wellman, a Woodburn-based construction company.
The fire took place on April 29th, 2020 while construction was underway. The fire was declared arson after police reviewed the video surveillance footage from the school. Police concluded that the fire caused $250,000 worth of property damage. The claim is not putting the fault of the fire onto the construction company. The claim is indicating that the construction companies’ failure to properly secure the construction site led to $80,000 in damages and delays.