A Minot man charged in February for starting a fire in a vacant mobile home has been sentenced to serve 25 days in the Ward County Jail after entering an Alford plea in North Central District Court.

Shaine Orvell Lund, 42, Minot, entered his change of plea before Judge Douglas Mattson on May 28. By filing an Alford plea, Lund accepted the sentence without admitting guilt to one Class C felony count of endangering by fire or explosion-danger of death or bodily injury. One Class C felony count of burglary was dismissed.

According to court documents, Minot Central Dispatch was contacted by Lund in the early morning of Feb. 11, who reported he had set a fire in a vacant mobile home to stay warm. Lund reported the fire was spreading and he was unable to get out of the residence.

A Minot Police officer responded to a northwest Minot mobile home court and located smoke coming from a unit. Firefighters arrived and were able to locate and evacuate Lund from the residence. During an interview with Minot Police, Lund said he entered the mobile home to escape the cold when he couldn’t find a friend who lived in the community and he noticed the unit was unoccupied. He said he located a pile of blankets and a jug of lacquer thinner which he was able to ignite with some lighters. He said he was able to get warm, but realized the accumulated smoke prevented him from exiting the mobile home.

Mattson sentenced Lund to serve 360 days in the Ward County Jail, to first serve 25 days with the rest suspended. Lund was given credit for 25 days served, and ordered to complete one year of supervised probation. The Class C felony charge will be deemed a misdemeanor upon Lund’s successful completion of probation. He was also assessed $650 in court fines and fees.