Colorado Springs Police: man arrested after refusing to move away from brush fire at homeless camp

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Monday, Colorado Springs officers from the Falcon Division helped crews from the Colorado Springs Fire Department at the scene of a brush fire.

At 1:00 p.m., officers arrived in the 4300 block of Buckingham Drive to assist crews with an uncooperative man at the scene of the fire.

According to police, Station 9 and two Brush Trucks responded to the brush fire and found a man smoking at his homeless campsite, adjacent to the spreading fire.

Police say the man refused to get out of the way as the crews began putting out the fire.

Despite the man refusing to leave, the fire department was able to extinguish the fire, which had spread to 1/8 of an acre due to the high winds.

Once at the scene, police arrested the man. He was identified as Michael Fragola.

Due to high winds and high fire danger, Colorado Springs was put on a Red Flag warning on Monday.

CSFD says the fire could've been much worse had it gotten loose. Crews advise the public to be careful and open burning is prohibited.