Juvenile charged with starting Weber fire

A juvenile has been charged with two counts of juvenile delinquency in relation to starting the Weber Fire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced.

The fire burned over 10,000 acres of federal, state and private lands near Mancos, Colorado, causing over $5,000,000 in damages.

The charges were filed in a two-count Information on October 29, 2012. The defendant will receive a summons to appear in federal court in Durango on a date certain.

According to a press release from the Colorado State Attorney’s Office, the juvenile willfully set on fire timber, underbrush, or grass or other inflammable material on lands owned by the United States Government. Specifically, the juvenile gathered up leaves and underbrush around a bush, and using a Bic lighter, lit the underbrush causing it to burn and ignite nearby timber, all located on Bureau of Land Management land in Weber Canyon in Montezuma County, the Attorney’s Office alleges.

Under the terms of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the government is not allowed to disclose any identifying information regarding the identity or other facts about the juvenile.

The fire was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management, with assistance from the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.