BLACK FOREST, Colo. -- The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is investigating a number of small fires deliberately set in the Black Forest area.

FOREST FIRE LINKS Current Colorado Wildfires Clickable Colorado Wildfires Map U.S. Fire Danger Map Fire Maps Governor's Drought, Fire Report Current Fire Bans Fire Weather Forecast Be FireWise, Protect Your Home Fire Terms Incident Management Situation report National Wildland Fire Update National Park Service Fire Net Satellite Views Of Forest Fires BLM Fire and Aviation US Fish and Wildlife Fire Management Rocky Mountain Hotshot Crews National Smokejumper Association Fire Weather Forecast Maps for the U.S. FEMA: Fire Administration USDA Forest Service's Fire Sciences Laboratory USFS Fire News Colorado State Forest Service Intellicasts Lightning Maps For US Wildland Fire Assessment System

It has occurred every weekend for the past three weekends, officials said.

The most recent incident occurred around midnight Saturday in the vicinity of Highline and Elementary Roads.

Seven small fires about a few hundred feet apart were set alongside the roads in a residential area, some only a few feet away from residents' front yards, officials said.

All of the fires were quickly put out by the Black Forest Fire Department.

Several other small fires have also occurred in the vicinity of Burgess Road and Holmes Road.

Investigators have ruled out natural causes.

"This is someone who's pretty well organized. He picks an area and lights a bunch of fires at the same time," Capt. Pete Oesper of Black Forest Fire Rescue said.

All you have to do is look at the Hayman fire to see what could happen."

Firefighters were alerted early Sunday morning by a resident who said she heard a car accelerate on the dirt road outside her house and then saw what looked like a fire in the brush.

"People around here are up in arms, and this is a well-armed community," said John Blumenhein, who works at a gas station and convenience center in Black Forest. "A lot of people are talking about what they would do if a suspicious person was in their front yard."

Some residents are considering starting fire patrols to catch the culprit responsible for the arson fires.

The Fire Investigations Unit asked residents to take down license plates and descriptions of any suspicious vehicles in their neighborhoods and, if a fire occurs in their neighborhood, provide this information to the investigators.

If you have more information you are asked to call (720) 575-8403

A concerned homeowners' group in the Black Forest area, who wish to remain anonymous, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved.

An arsonist is also suspected of setting fires along Highway 285.