Officials: Arrest made in Alexander Mountain Fire investigation

DENVER (KDVR) – The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that an arrest has been made as a result of the investigation into the Alexander Mountain Fire, which burned 9,668 acres of Larimer County over the summer.

The man arrested was identified as Jason Alexander Hobby, 49. According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Hobby was a former employee of Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, which is believed to be where the fire was started.

Hobby was taken into custody on Sept. 10 and faces several charges, including first-degree arson, two counts of impersonation of a police officer, menacing, false imprisonment and impersonating a public official.

The fire, which started in late July and was declared fully contained on Aug. 17 , destroyed or damaged 52 structures and caused hundreds of evacuations.

On Aug. 9, while the fire was still burning, officials said an investigation had determined it was human-caused . On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office gave an update and said they had determined the fire originated from a campfire ring.

Suspect arrested for the Alexander Mountain Fire

The sheriff’s office said they found evidence both before and after the fire started that Hobby had represented himself as law enforcement and a certified firefighter, even though he was not.

LCSO said evidence also indicated Hobby had, on multiple occasions, stopped people on ranch property while driving an SUV “designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle.”

He allegedly represented himself as being law enforcement, told them they were trespassing and pointed a gun at them.

The sheriff’s office said Hobby also owns a modified Ford truck outfitted with equipment that is usually seen on wildland fire apparatus and operated under the business name “Twin Buttes Fire Protection” out of Wyoming. LCSO said there was no record of a registered fire organization by this name.

Hobby allegedly bypassed road closures during the Alexander Mountain Fire to access restricted areas and represented himself as a firefighter defending ranch property, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office believes that Hobby may have falsely represented himself as law enforcement or a fire official in other incidents as well.

Anyone with information about his potential involvement in the Alexander Mountain Fire or who believes they may be a victim of impersonation was asked to call LCSO Investigator Justin Atwood at 970-498-5143.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.