Plea deal near in Lisle playground fire case

A plea deal has been reached for a Lisle man charged with starting an August 2013 fire that destroyed playground equipment at Kingston Park in an unincorporated area near Lisle.

The proposed deal, however, will not be finalized unless Michael Bucher, 23, pays more than $7,000 in restitution by July 30, authorities said.

According to the proposal detailed in court, Bucher, of the 5400 block of Burr Oak Street, will plead guilty to criminal damage to property and be sentenced to two years of probation. Prosecutors said his total restitution amount is $7,385, nearly half of which will be taken directly from the $3,500 bond he posted after his November 2013 arrest.

Authorities said sheriff's deputies responded shortly before 5 a.m. Aug. 13, 2013, to reports of a fire at Kingston Park at Kingston Avenue and Kohley Road. Fire officials immediately said they were suspicious about the cause of the blaze.

Police said the matter was turned over to sheriff's detectives for an investigation that led to Bucher's arrest.