UNITY – After a stressful summer of hay bale fires around the community of Macklin, Logan Sieben, who is charged in relation to incidents, was set to make his first appearance at the Unity Provincial Court on Nov. 18.
However, Sieben did not make it to the court. The Crown did inform the presiding judge that both sides are hoping for a resolution in this case and will adjourn until Jan. 20, 2025.
Sieben was charged on Aug.26 with one count of arson causing mischief, one count of arson with intent to defraud, and one count of theft under $5,000, all under the Criminal Code. None of the charges have been proven in court.
Background: The fires first began on July 29, with eight bales needing to be extinguished within 24 hours. Macklin Fire Department (MFD) Chief Justin Bast found the number of bales on fire suspicious in nature and asked all farmers in the area to remove their bales from unsupervised fields and ditches.
The Macklin and District Fire Protection Board then announced a reward for any information in regards to bale fires.
However, the number of calls continued into August, and the Macklin and District Fire Protection Board had increased their reward multiple times to help put an end to the mayhem. The board also received donations from local businesses and residents to persuade someone to come forward. At the time of arrest and the charges being laid, the reward was $26,500.
Sieben, who is a 25-year-old Macklin resident, had also been a volunteer member with the MFD for the past seven years, joining when he was only 18. Prior to his arrest, Sieben was actively responding to the calls regarding bales that had been set ablaze.
