Arrest papers reveal changing story from accused Spring Fire arsonist

Amid the flurry of evacuations in the Forbes Park area, Costilla County deputies were busy interviewing a man who first reported the Spring Fire last week.

The Spring Fire, which had burned more than 56,000 acres as of Monday, is the largest fire that’s currently burning in Colorado.

Jesper Joergensen, 52, initially told deputies he was burning trash in the Forbes Park neighborhood. Quickly changing his story, he then said he didn’t know how the fire started, according to arrest papers obtained Monday. Later, he told them he had been grilling in a permanent fire pit that was two feet in the ground.

Joergensen told deputies he thought he had smothered the fire, and thought he had put it out the night before but did not put water on the fire. He awoke to the smell of smoke in his camper the morning of Wednesday, June 27, according to arrest papers. At that point, the fire had spread to the nearby bushes.

He denied setting the fire intentionally.

Joergensen attempted to put the fire out with a blanket, but it caught fire. Joergensen also suffered burned that were not deemed serious to his chest and right leg.

After speaking with Joergensen on Wednesday, deputies arrested him Thursday. His truck was parked on the shores of the Mountain Home Reservoir, looking toward the Spring Fire.

Joergensen, whose Visa is expired, is in the U.S. illegally. He is from Denmark. Joergensen is being held on suspicion of first-degree arson, on a $50,000 bond.

At least 25 homes have been destroyed by the fire, according to the arrest affidavit. Hundreds of homes were evacuated, and thousands of residents have been at least temporarily displaced.

The fire has split into two different growing fronts and was reported to be about 10 percent contained as of Monday afternoon.