A Lane County judge Thursday, Oct. 15, ordered two years of bench probation for a 40-year-old man convicted of starting a fire near West 11th Avenue and Beltline Road that damaged grass and shrubbery on Eugene Water & Electric Board property.
Michael Eric Tavernier pleaded guilty Sept. 30 to reckless burning and failing to register as a sex offender, both misdemeanors. Tavernier must also pay $709.79 in restitution for damage caused by the Aug. 18 fire.
At the time of the fire, Tavernier was on post-prison supervision after pleading guilty in March 2025 to first-degree arson in connection with a fire at a Target store site adjacent to the EWEB fire location…