A 51-year-old man has been charged with first-degree arson in connection with a fire Friday, July 11, near an Interstate 5 overpass in Cottage Grove.

Prosecutors allege Gary Lee Norton intentionally set a fire where the highway passes over Row River Road. The fire could have damaged a nearby building on North Gateway Boulevard, according to a charging document filed in Lane County Circuit Court.

The fire began about 5:10 p.m. along an embankment and grew to roughly 40 feet by 30 feet in size, said Cory Chase, Cottage Grove’s police chief.

Police officers, assisted by Lane County Sheriff’s deputies, canvassed the area, spoke with witnesses and found items that led them to the suspect, Chase said. Norton, a Cottage Grove resident, was arrested shortly after midnight.

Chase declined to say what the man told police about the fire. Online records show Norton was booked into Lane County Jail on Saturday. He had not yet entered a plea as of Tuesday, July 15, according to online court records. His next court hearing was scheduled for Aug. 18.