By Rex Bowman
The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
COEBURN, Va — A former Coeburn volunteer firefighter pleaded guilty yesterday to setting fire to the High Knob observation tower in Wise County, a popular weekend destination in Southwest Virginia that drew 5,000 visitors annually.
U.S. Attorney Julia C. Dudley said Nicholas Owens, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to all the charges against him stemming from the Halloween 2007 fire.
The tower was inside the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
Owens was charged with one count of burning buildings owned by the United States, one count of burning buildings with the special territorial jurisdiction of the U.S. and one count of lying to investigators.
A co-defendant, Christopher Hyatt, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the fire.
Federal prosecutors said Owens set fire to the observation tower, then he and Hyatt set fire to a restroom building in the Hanging Rock Recreation Area, also in the national forest.
“The senseless actions of these two men destroyed a beloved and historic structure and was a tragedy for the entire community,” Dudley said in a written statement. “I am happy that both defendants have taken responsibility for their crimes.
A local grass-roots campaign has collected more than $100,000 for the reconstruction of the tower. The Civilian Conservation Corps built a single-story wooden shack on High Knob in 1938, but the tower, a three-story octagon of fieldstone and wood, replaced it in 1978 and rapidly became a popular relaxation spot for local residents.
Owens is to be sentenced April 8. Hyatt is to be sentenced April 9.
Copyright 2009 Richmond Times - Dispatch