Sask. volunteer firefighter who set hay bales on fire 30 times awaits sentencing

Hannah Spray · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 1:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

As an arsonist kept setting hay bales connected occurrence successful occidental Saskatchewan past summer, comments a unpaid firefighter made to his colleagues raised their suspicions.

That yet led constabulary to absorption their attraction connected Logan Sieben, a 25-year-old unpaid with the Macklin Fire Department successful the town, astir 225 kilometres westbound of Saskatoon.

At Sieben's sentencing proceeding past week successful Unity provincial court, Crown authoritative Danie Cilliers described how, arsenic the occurrence section attended the hay bale fires, Sieben would accidental things like, "the country does not person immoderate cameras," oregon "there are 2 ways successful and out."

Police questioned Sieben, who initially admitted to starting 3 fires. Ultimately, helium accepted work for starting 30 fires during a one-month play from July 29 to Aug. 26, 2024, Cilliers said.

"It's analyzable due to the fact that there's immoderate readying progressive successful what Mr. Sieben has done here, but due to the fact that of his acquisition … helium astir apt knew the grade of the danger, overmuch much than I would," Cilliers said, adding Sieben ever seemed to beryllium adjacent successful the vicinity of the fires and nary of them spread.

Cilliers argued for a condemnation consisting of a six-month conditional condemnation bid — to beryllium served successful the assemblage — followed by 12 months probation. He cited the precocious fig of fires and Sieben's breach of spot to the community, arsenic a unpaid firefighter, arsenic aggravating factors for the justice to consider.

Mental wellness issues

Defence lawyer George Green argued for a condemnation of the aforesaid length, but successful the signifier of 18 months probation connected the aforesaid presumption projected by the Crown, including assemblage work and intelligence wellness supports.

Sieben has struggled with intelligence wellness issues since helium was a youth, Green said, and his intelligence wellness "took a large downturn" successful April 2024, starring into the arson spree successful the summer.

"He checked himself into the North Battleford infirmary to question assistance and successful October 2024 helium was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder," Green said.

Green noted Sieben has nary transgression history, has taken work for the crimes, has gotten assistance and hasn't been successful immoderate occupation since then, pursuing each his merchandise conditions "to the letter."

"Logan has sought assistance for his intelligence health, which, certainly, his intelligence wellness led to this offence," Green said.

Green cited anterior cases wherever different offenders acceptable fires to houses, vehicles and adjacent a occurrence department, and received sentences of probation.

"I don't privation to springiness Logan recognition for knowing however to incorporate a fire, but … these were hay bales and they were each contained and they didn't spread," Green said.

Question of restitution

The Crown asked the justice to enforce a restitution bid for $76,650, the magnitude associated with the Macklin Fire Department's effect to the fires. However, Cilliers acknowledged helium doesn't cognize however overmuch of that was covered by insurance, oregon however galore RMs oregon spot owners person paid their bills.

Green said that erstwhile the restitution magnitude isn't "crystal clear," it needs to beryllium near to the civilian courts to benignant out, truthful a restitution bid would not beryllium due here.

Judge Ian Mokoruk said helium needed clip to see each the accusation and adjourned the lawsuit to July 21 for a sentencing decision.