Columbia Falls man charged with arson

Prosecutors have filed a pair of felony charges against a 25-year-old man accused of starting fires in Columbia Falls earlier this month.

Lakota Caleb Jerald Treat faces two counts of arson in Flathead County District Court. The charges are connected to a pair of fires allegedly lit near Depot Park on Aug. 11.

According to court documents, Columbia Falls Police officers arrived at the public park about 1:25 a.m. after receiving reports of a “big fire” near the intersection of Nucleus Avenue and Railroad Street. Responding officers described the blaze as about a quarter of an acre in size and encompassing a large pine tree and part of a cut tree as well as a grassy area.

The pair that reported the blaze later told investigators that they saw Treat use a lighter to start the fire. He fled on a bicycle soon afterward, they said.

They also accused Treat of igniting another fire near the U.S. Post Office, court documents said. One of the witnesses told officers they stamped it out. Investigators inspected the area around the Post Office and found a burned patch of grass near a utility pole, according to court documents.

Treat, who remains in the county jail, is scheduled to be arraigned before Judge Dan Wilson on Aug. 25. His bail is set at $50,000.

Arson carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine.