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Summons Issued To Picnic Rock Fire Starter

Sanchez Cited For Fourth-Degree Arson

UPDATED: 5:33 pm MDT April 9, 2004

The man who admitted starting the Picnic Rock Fire by burning trash and grass April 6 was cited for his actions.

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James "Tony" Sanchez was issued a summons Thursday by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office for fourth-degree arson.

Sanchez said he was burning a trash pile on his property on March 30 when gusty winds blew embers into nearby grass and he lost control of the blaze.

Sanchez's summons to appear in court June 1 was issued after a meeting between the Larimer County sheriff and district attorney. He faces up to a year in jail, if convicted, and a fine of up to $1,000.

The 8,900-acre fire was finally contained earlier this week. It destroyed one home and one garage and cost nearly $3 million to fight.

It took more than 400 firefighters nine days to contain the fire. About 140 residents were forced from their homes by the growing fire.

The cost depleted a fire fund set up by Colorado counties but on Wednesday, Gov. Bill Owens announced an additional $5.8 million dollar emergency fund to help pay for additional firefighting resources.

Even though the fire is contained, Larimer County officials are worried about the potential for mudslides and flooding. They are considering a reseeding effort to help mitigate the problem.


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