LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A Loveland man has been arrested in connection with the Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County, and is also accused of impersonating law enforcement and fire officials.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Forest Service held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, where they identified the suspect as Jason Alexander Hobby, 49, of Loveland. He faces charges of first-degree arson, two counts of impersonating a peace officer, felony menacing, false imprisonment and impersonating a public servant. After obtaining an arrest warrant for Hobby on Sept. 6, he was taken into custody on Sept. 10. He was issued a $450,000 cash/surety bond.
Hobby was an employee at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch — a family-owned, 3,200-acre property in the foothills west of Loveland — up until about three or four weeks ago, when he was identified as a suspect during the course of the investigation, said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen during the press conference. The ranch then terminated his employment.
Watch the full press conference below:
Sheriff Feyen said the Alexander Mountain Fire originated from a campfire ring around the top of the mountain.
During the investigation, officials found evidence that Hobby had impersonated law enforcement on several occasions before the fire, and stopped people on fake traffic stops on the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch property in a Chevrolet SUV designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle. In some cases, he pointed a weapon at the person and falsely claimed they were trespassing, Sheriff Feyen said.
“Based on the evidence collected, investigators are concerned that Hobby may have falsely stopped other citizens in our community or other visitors in our community," he said. "We are requesting folks who may have been stopped by him to reach out to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office with additional details.”
Anybody who believes they were a victim in this case is asked to contact LCSO Investigator Justin Atwood at 970-498-5143 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org.
Sheriff Feyen said he is not aware of Hobby allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer anytime after the fire.
In addition to the Chevrolet, Hobby owns a modified Ford that looks like a fire response vehicle and is outfitted with equipment often seen on those vehicles. It had emblems of "Twin Buttes Fire Protection," however investigators could not identify that department anywhere. Hobby also had gear with those emblems, the sheriff said.
Hobby allegedly drove the outfitted Ford to bypass road closures and access restricted areas during the Alexander Mountain Fire, representing himself to be a wildland firefighter, the sheriff said.
Hobby appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon for a hearing on advisement. A prosecutor argued that Hobby has a criminal history from out of state, presents a significant danger to the public and has significant ties to Wyoming, where he may have started other fires. The prosecutor talked about Hobby's brazenness with feigned law enforcement connections, and asked to increase his bond to $1 million. A defense attorney said bond should stay the same, as Hobby has strong ties to the Loveland community, has a strong support system and owns his own business.
A victim, who was in court Wednesday afternoon, told the room that he "clearly remembered (Hobby's) pistol pointed at my face and my brother's face."
At the end of the hearing, Hobby's bond was increased from $250,000 to $450,000 cash/surety. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 24.
The Alexander Mountain Fire, which sparked on July 29 near Drake north of Highway 34, burned 9,668 acres over about three weeks. On Aug. 9, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that the fire was human-caused, but no other specifics were available at the time. Officials had previously referenced signs of human activity near where the fire apparently started.
More than 5,000 people evacuated, but no injuries were reported. However, the fire destroyed about 29 homes and 21 outbuildings, and damaged four additional homes.
The fire was 100% contained on Aug. 17.
The Alexander Mountain Fire was one of multiple Front Range wildfires that began burning around the same time:
- The Stone Canyon Fire in Boulder County destroyed five homes and killed one person. That person has not yet been identified. The fire started on July 30 and burned a total of 1,557 acres before it was contained on Aug. 5.
- The Quarry Fire in Jefferson County was first reported on the evening of July 30. Three days later, officials said the fire was being investigated as arson, though it's not yet clear if the fire was intentionally set or not. It was fully contained on Aug. 7. It grew to 579 acres and did not burn any structures.
- The Lake Shore Fire near Gross Reservoir Boulder County began on July 31 and evacuated residents were allowed to return home within 24 hours. It was fully contained at seven acres on Aug. 2.
Dozens of structures, including homes, burned in these wildfires. A Denver7 Gives fund will help support the immediate recovery and long-term rebuilding for those impacted.
To make a tax-deductible donation, click the button below and select "Help Victims of Colorado Wildfires" from the drop-down list. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
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How to help Boulder, Jefferson and Larimer County wildfire victims
The post-fire Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team completed their assessment report in the wake of the fire, the USFS announced on Wednesday.
"The report found limited risks to human life and safety, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources on Forest Service lands within the burn area," the USFS said. "The report found increased risk for flooding and debris flows following heavy rainstorms, primarily due to steep slopes throughout the burned area."
The BAER team will work closely with the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management on post-fire emergency response work.
The USFS warned anybody near or downstream of the burn area about how heavy rains can impact the burn scar — a threat that became became in the weeks after the Alexander Mountain Fire, as well as the other mountain fires.
You can read the full BAER team report below.
Post-wildfire flooding is caused by changes to the landscape caused by the fire, explained Peter Nelson, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. People who live downstream or downhill from the burn areas need to pay the most attention to those storms, Nelson said, since they are the most likely to see flooding caused by burn scar runoff.
“When a landscape burns, the response of the landscape to rainfall changes dramatically,” Nelson explained. “You can think of the ground as being kind of like a sponge. Under normal, unburned circumstances, the sponge – the ground – is able to soak in a lot of the rain that falls through infiltration. After a fire, the infiltration capacity of the landscape is seriously diminished.”
Hear more from him in the video below.
Wildfires are now a year-round threat in Colorado. Denver7 is committed to covering their impact and the people working to find solutions to the threat.