Colorado homeowner facing arson charges after fire burns pool house

A Boulder County man has been served with a felony summons for fourth-degree arson after a pool house burned on his property. According to investigators, the Boulder County Communications Center received a call about a structure on fire in the 11000 block of Lookout Road in unincorporated Boulder County at 1:50 p.m. on Monday. 

When fire crews arrived, they found an outbuilding, later identified as a pool house, on fire. The home on the property was evacuated due to the proximity of the fire, which spread to surrounding grass and started moving towards the property line, according to investigators. 

Animals in the pasture on the property, as well as pets, were evacuated. A few neighboring properties were also evacuated as a precaution, and Lookout Road was also closed to traffic. 

According to Boulder County, the property owner, Todd Berkebile, said that he had been burning excess wood in a pit located inside the pool house structure. He was served with a felony summons for fourth-degree arson due to the unsafe location of the fire and the proximity of the associated grass fire to a neighboring property. 

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it reached the residence or spread to the neighboring property.