Man arrested, accused of starting small Colorado wildfire while camping in high country

A man accused of starting a wildfire in the Colorado high country earlier this week has been arrested and is facing multiple charges.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office said deputies, USFS personnel and Summit Fire & EMS were called to the scene of an active wildfire near the Buffalo Cabin Trail on Wednesday afternoon. The fire had spread 10 feet by 10 feet and was climbing into nearby trees when they arrived.

Deputies used fire extinguishers to begin suppression efforts until firefighters could fully extinguish the flames. They determined the fire was associated with a camp.

The following evening, deputies received reports of smoke rising in the same area. Authorities said they discovered Stephen Thomas sitting next to an active campfire, which violates the current fire restrictions. Summit Fire & EMS and forest service personnel extinguished the fire, and deputies placed Thomas under arrest.

He was booked into the Summit County Detention Facility and is facing charges for firing woods/prairie during Stage 2 fire restrictions and unlawful conduct on public property for having a campfire in violation of fire restrictions.

Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said, "This fire was immediately contained, and the person responsible is being held accountable thanks to quick calls from the community. Please continue to report any suspected fires immediately." He added, "While recent moisture helped prevent this fire from spreading, had this same incident occurred just a few weeks ago, the outcome could have been devastating. Fire restriction violations threaten the very fabric of our community, and we take them extremely seriously."

Stage 1 restrictions remain in place in Summit County. The sheriff's office said campfires are only allowed in developed campgrounds with permanent fire rings or on private property with a permit.