CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- A female National Forest Service employee was under arrest Sunday for starting the Hayman Fire, the biggest in Colorado history.

The announcement came during an afternoon news conference in Castle Rock attended by federal officials and Gov. Bill Owens.

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Officials announced that Terry Lynn Barton, 38, of Teller County, Colo., was arrested Sunday morning for starting the Hayman Fire on June 8.

Barton, a forest service technician, was charged with starting a fire in a national forest, making false statements, and damaging federal property, in excess of $1,000, officials said.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Leoni, Barton admitted starting the fire.

"She said she started the fire within the campfire ring while on patrol to look for illegal campfires during the fire ban," Leoni told reporters. "She said she attempted to put it out but it just got away from her."

She was burning a letter from her estranged husband within a designated campfire ring, where fires normally would be allowed if there were not a fire ban, and then tried to put out the blaze, according to an arrest affidavit.

Barton was the forest service employee who first called in the fire report and described another vehicle leaving the area. The driver of that vehicle was later contacted and said he went to investigate the smoke he saw and called 911 to report it. That driver was not connected with the fire, officials said.

Fire investigators questioned her repeatedly because of they determined that what she said happened couldn't have happened, given the forensic evidence at the scene.

Leoni said Barton was taken into custody "without incident" and was being held in the jail in Colorado Springs, Colo. She was scheduled to make an initial court appearance in a Denver federal court Monday.

She faces up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines if she is found guilty of all the charges, Leoni said.

"I’m shocked and with a lot of other people, in a state of disbelief," said Rick Cables, regional forester for the Rocky Mountain Region for the U.S. Forest Service. "I’m saddened to say that one of our employees has admitted to starting the Hayman fire."

“The act should not detract from the fine work of the U.S. Forest Service." said Owens.

U.S. Forest Service employees said that Barton has worked for the Forest Service seasonally for 18 years.

On The Fire Lines

Firefighters gained ground Sunday on the wildfire that had burned within 40 miles of Denver city limits since it was started June 8, threatening southwestern suburbs.

With the blaze about 35 percent contained, about 5,400 people remained out of their homes. It was one of seven fires burning in the state Sunday.

Scattered puffs of smoke could be seen on mountainsides once totally obscured by smoke.

"Hopefully, this fire is going to now stay essentially where it is at," said Bobby Kitchens, a fire information officer. "We don't expect to see any more significant acreage gains."

Sheriff's deputies escorted some residents to retrieve belongings and assess damage, but didn't allow them to stay. Frustrated residents waited at the command post, trying to learn when they'll be able to return for good.

"It started to get to be a long period because one of the big things is I don't like eating out. I miss cooking at home," said Bob James, 46, who has been out of his home north of Lake George since Tuesday.

Another blaze flared in southwest Colorado and forced the evacuation of more than 330 homes. The latest fire had burned more than 20,000 acres in the San Juan National Forest by Sunday morning.

In addition to the evacuations, residents of 450 homes were told to be ready to leave. One cabin was destroyed, and fire managers were trying to determine whether others had burned.

More than 900 firefighters battled the blaze, about 10 miles north of Durango.

In California, 200 residents and campers returned home after fleeing a fire that burned 3,500 acres and destroyed five homes Saturday about 30 miles northeast of Bakersfield.

Higher humidity and slightly cooler temperatures also helped crews battling fires in northern New Mexico. The state's largest blaze, which has blackened 92,500 acres on the Philmont Scout Ranch, was 75 percent contained and full containment is expected