Two men were arrested Sunday in connection with a wildfire in Colorado that has charred more than 500 acres and forced almost 2,000 people from their homes, according to authorities.
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Fire investigators describe what the two men built as an ad-hoc campfire near the Peak to Peak Highway and Cold Springs Road. When they left the campsite, the Sheriff’s Office said the two men did not properly extinguish the fire.
It is believed, the sheriff’s office added, that high winds in the area, combined with the weather that has hovered above 90 degrees for much of the weekend, allowed the fire to smolder longer than it might have otherwise.
The fire began about 1:45 p.m. Saturday from what officials say was a poorly extinguished campfire.
The pair was arrested from an evacuation site, and they are being held at the Boulder County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Their female companion, Elizabeth Burdeshaw, is not facing any charges.
The Boulder Office of Emergency Management said Sunday people in about 170 homes should be ready to leave on a moment’s notice.
The Cold Springs Fire, which is west of Boulder, was sparked on Saturday and has since charred 536 acres. A day before they were coincidentally interviewed by a reporter from the Daily Camera about the fire with Suggs saying they had “never seen anything like it”.
“Our damage assessment team went out again to check on structures so we will get an update on that sometime this morning”, Boerkircher said Tuesday at about 8:30 a.m.
Five homes have been destroyed by a Colorado wildfire that authorities say two transient men accidentally started.
Crews were working fire lines around the blaze that has burned about 19 square miles.
National Forest officials said the fire is burning in heavy timber killed by beetles.
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Rocky Mountain Incident Commander Shane Greer explains the current fire situation to evacuated residents during a community briefing regarding the Cold Springs Wildfire on Monday, July 11, 2016, at the Nederland High School in Nederland, Colo.
