Colorado man accused of lighting several fires in Aurora charged with 16 counts of arson

A Colorado district attorney's office announced on Monday that a 30-year-old man who is suspected of lighting a series of fires is formally being charged with 16 arson charges. The charges against Michael Anthony Lopez are all felonies.

The fires were allegedly set earlier this month in Aurora near East 16th Avenue and North Norfolk Street.

Lopez made an appearance in Adams County Court on Monday.

Investigators say Lopez lit numerous things on fire, including the outsides and insides of apartment buildings, cars, portable toilets and brush. One or more of the fires temporarily displaced some apartment residents, and one disturbed resident told CBS Colorado "he was playing with our lives."

Aurora Fire Rescue crews responded the fires and were able to keep the damage to a minimum. In one case, a resident put out flames with a fire extinguisher before firefighters got there.

Before Lopez was arrested, some Aurora residents who were disturbed by the string of fires opted to sleep in their cars in hopes of spotting the arsonist and leading law enforcement to him.

No one was injured in any of the fires.