FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A man was charged with two counts of arson Thursday after allegedly setting an apartment on Fire in Fort Collins a day earlier.
Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) and the Poudre Fire Authority (PFA) responded to a fire on the first floor of an apartment complex on Stanford Rd. on Wednesday just after 10 p.m., according to a news release.
Multiple reports stated that the fire was started by a current resident of the complex, authorities said.
Once officers arrived to the scene, the suspect had fled from the area and the fire was eventually contained to the suspect’s apartment. The rest of the building had to be evacuated, police officials said in the release.
The suspect – 36-year-old Spencer Butler – was found by police walking near College Ave. and Bockman Dr. and was taken into custody at around 2 a.m. early Thursday morning.
He was found to have active warrants for his arrest, and following further investigation, he was charged with two counts of arson, first-degree and fourth-degree, police said.
No other injuries were reported from the fire and residents were allowed back in after the building was ventilated. At least one apartment sustained extensive fire damage, police said.
“We are grateful for the quick response by our partners at PFA, and to our Criminal Investigations Division who assisted in processing the scene and quickly locating the suspect. These partnerships help minimize the negative impact these crimes can have on our community.”, said Detective Bryan Vogel, lead investigator for the incident.
