Two campers from Alabama were arrested Sunday and face felony arson charges for allegedly sparking the Cold Springs Fire that destroyed three homes in Colorado.
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Authorities tell the Denver Post that the men left a poorly extinguished campfire, forcing evacuations of almost 2,000 people southwest of Boulder.
Investigators with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office say 28-year-old Jimmy Andrew Suggs and 26-year-old Zackary Ryan Kuykendall of Vinemont, have been charged with 4th Degree Arson, a class four felony. Their female companion, Elizabeth Burdeshaw, 20, also from Vinemont, Alabama, is not facing charges, as she did not have any involvement in creating, maintaining or extinguishing the campfire.
A federal firefighter injured in a fire-truck crash that killed two other crew members on a remote highway in Nevada is expected to survive.
Investigators determined the origin of the fire was an ad hoc campsite near the Peak-to-Peak Highway and Cold Springs Road.
Firefighters will start mopping up areas within the perimeter of the Cold Springs fire near Nederland on Tuesday as officials hope to continue keeping the blaze contained.
But the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that a damage assessment team confirmed three more homes had burned. The fire is moving northeast with limited containment.
Boulder Canyon remains closed to all vehicle traffic throughout the day Monday as fire crews battle the Cold Springs fire and helicopters ferry buckets of water over the roadway and onto the fire located north and east of Barker Reservoir. The incident commander expects there will be a lot more firefighters available to fight the fire on Monday.
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Fire spokeswoman Megan Saylors says the unmanned aircraft was seen Sunday night above the blaze about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City. As it burns through a large area, the fire has put more homes in danger. The Hayden Pass fire is burning in dead and downed timber and has forced the evacuation of campsites in the area. An evacuation order was issued for Parsons Draw landowners on Saturday.
