A 64-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges after Scappoose police say he set fire to his own mattress inside a residential complex before turning up at a nearby care facility, where he was found talking to himself and knocking on doors. Jay Gilliam was taken into custody early Tuesday morning and booked into the Columbia County Jail on charges including arson in the first degree, criminal mischief and reckless endangering.
According to the City of Scappoose, a citizen reported a large quantity of smoke coming from behind a residential complex at 33653 SE Olive St. at around 5 a.m. Tuesday. Scappoose Rural Fire District personnel responded and extinguished the blaze, and law enforcement initiated an evacuation of a resident near the affected apartment as a safety precaution. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
Court records reported by Columbia County Spotlight indicate Gilliam told police he set fire to his mattress inside his apartment, and responding officers recovered a knife along with several lighters from him upon contact. Police identified Gilliam as the individual who intentionally started the fire, and he also disclosed to police that he had recently used methamphetamine.
A Disturbing Call Half a Mile Away
Roughly 12 minutes after the fire report, at approximately 5:12 a.m., officers received a call about a suspicious male at the Columbia Care Center — also known as Avalon Care Center — who was talking to himself and knocking on the facility's doors. Interior staff felt uncomfortable because of the man's behavior. Scappoose police officers contacted Gilliam at the care center and placed him into custody, connecting him to the earlier residential fire.
The outlet's report notes the fire scene and the care center are located less than half a mile apart, illustrating how close the suspect's movements brought him to a facility housing vulnerable residents. Avalon Care Center is a 40-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, per the same report.
Charges Fall Under Oregon's Strictest Sentencing Rules
Prosecutors filed a lengthy list of charges against Gilliam, including two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangerment, the outlet reported. Under Oregon Revised Statute 164.325, arson in the first degree is a Class A felony carrying a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $100,000, according to the Oregon Legislature.
First-degree arson is also designated as a Measure 11 offense in Oregon, meaning a conviction carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 60 months with no eligibility for early release or good-behavior credit, according to Romano Law. The charges reflect the potential danger posed to residents in occupied multi-family housing, the outlet's report notes.
A Scarce Resource in Scappoose
The apartment complex where the fire started, listed as Victorian Court at 33653 SE Olive St., is classified as subsidized affordable housing accepting vouchers, according to Affordable Housing Online. Community housing data shows only 77 total subsidized units are available across three properties in Scappoose, underscoring how damage to even one complex can ripple through the local housing supply.
The response to Tuesday's incident drew on multiple agencies. Scappoose police thanked the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and the Scappoose Fire District for their assistance in what the department described as a coordinated effort to protect the community. The Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District, founded in 1915 and reorganized in 1980, covers a 52-square-mile fire protection area and a 100-square-mile ambulance service area, serving roughly 12,000 residents across Scappoose and unincorporated communities including Warren and Chapman, according to the Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District.
Demand on that district has climbed in recent years. Multnomah County election records show emergency service calls within the fire district grew to 1,916 in 2020, a 15% increase from 2016, with overlapping medical calls making up roughly 40% of total response volume, according to Multnomah County records.
Gilliam's disclosure to police about recent methamphetamine use also touches on a broader enforcement structure in the region. Specialized drug enforcement across Columbia County is coordinated by the Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team, an inter-agency task force created to investigate and prosecute major controlled substance violations, according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Gilliam was transported to the Columbia County Jail following his arrest. No additional details about a court date or plea have been released.
