Man suspected of starting Alexander Mountain Fire was disciplined by property owners days before, affidavit says

Early in the investigation of the Alexander Mountain Fire, several staff members at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch suspected a co-worker had started the fire, as he was the only one who would have been in the area where the fire began, court documents said.

An unsealed arrest affidavit shared more details about why investigators arrested and charged Jason Hobby for arson, impersonation of a police officer, menacing, false imprisonment and impersonating a public official.

The Alexander Mountain Fire burned more than 9,500 acres, destroyed 26 homes and 20 outbuildings, and damaged four more homes. The cost of the damage to property is estimated to be more than $30 million, according to the affidavit.

On July 29, first responders began receiving numerous 911 calls about an "out of control" wildland fire near property next to Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch. Authorities arrested Hobby more than a month later, on Sept. 10.

According to the affidavit, a fire arson investigator determined the origin of the fire came from a makeshift, rock fire pit less than two miles above Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch.

Investigators said they found footprints in the origin area that appeared similar to the boots taken from Hobby's home through a search warrant, according to court documents.

Those boots have been sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for analysis. Larimer County Sheriff's Office investigators conducted a search warrant of Hobby's home on Aug. 7 and found numerous pieces of firefighting gear and items that can start fires.

At another location in the fire area, investigators found a gas can that matched one in pictures on Hobby's social media, the arrest affidavit said.

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