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Salem man arrested on suspicion of arson following storage unit fire

Smoke billows from the Airport Self Storage facility in Salem on May 3, 2021 (Courtesy/Marion Polk Traffic, Crime and Severe Weather Alerts)

A Salem man was arrested Tuesday and is suspected of arson for allegedly setting fire to a storage facility on 2142 Turner Rd S.E. and causing more than $1 million in damage.

Tristin Sillman, 22, was arrested on suspicion of 25 counts of second-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief after police interviewed witnesses, processed the crime scene and canvassed the area, according to Salem police.

The fire started Monday evening around 6 p.m.

Sillman was found in Cascades Gateway Park Tuesday and was taken to the police department for follow-up questioning. He is being arraigned Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

The four-alarm fire burned for several hours and destroyed multiple storage units, police said. 

Last May, Sillman pleaded guilty to menacing after threatening someone with a screwdriver. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, according to court records.

Sillman also has a warrants for his arrest in Lincoln and Yamhill counties for failing to appear in court on methamphetamine possession charges. 

-Saphara Harrell