By John Aguilar
The Daily Camera
BOULDER, Colo. — The Fourmile Fire is now fully contained after burning for a week.
At the same time, a lifelong resident of the foothills west of Boulder is being investigated for not fully extinguishing a fire in a fire pit that was allegedly lit a few days prior to the start of the state’s most destructive wildfire.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that the fire pit where authorities believe the Fourmile Fire originated — the blaze burned down 166 homes and scorched more than 6,400 acres — is located in the 7100 block of Fourmile Canyon.
Officials believe the last fire that was active in the pit prior to the Fourmile Fire blowing up was “a number of days before.”
“At that time, the property owner had made attempts to extinguish the fire by dousing it with water and stirring the ashes,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. “It is believed that the wind reignited the embers and blew them out of the fire pit, causing the fire to spread on Sept. 6.”
The male homeowner in question is not being identified and it has not been decided whether he faces criminal charges.
“He’s been very cooperative in the investigation,” said Cmdr. Rick Brough, with the Sheriff’s Office. “He hasn’t tried to divert the investigation away from him.”
Brough said all indications are that “he was doing everything properly on the burn day.” Officials only imposed a fire ban in Boulder County on Sunday.
Brough said the homeowner told him that “he thought the fire was out.”
“This very possibly could just be an accident,” he said.
But Brough said his department’s investigation into the blaze would continue and investigators will consider whether the fire is the result of recklessness or negligence.
Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett said his office would not rush to any decision about whether to press charges in the case. He said the most likely charge that would result from such an incident would be 4th-degree arson, the lowest level of arson on the books.
Four Mile Fire Chief Bret Gibson said Monday that the man being investigated is a solid member of the community who has been having a very difficult time coming to terms with what happened.
“Nobody has given as much consistently over the years,” he said.
Gibson said it is important that investigators be given the time to finish their work so they can figure out exactly what happened.
“An incident of this size has to be investigated,” he said.
Ed Dawson, a 37-year resident of Gold Hill who lost his house to last week’s conflagration, said he can empathize with whoever started the Fourmile Fire.
“I know that’s a weight on their shoulders I wouldn’t want to bear,” he said.
But he said he has a hard time seeing it as a criminal act.
“It might have been misguided, it may have lacked follow through,” Dawson said.
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