A Colorado man is charged with arson in a wildfire that destroyed 26 homes

LOVELAND, Colorado — A Colorado man has been charged with arson following an investigation into a forest fire this summer Authorities reported Wednesday that 26 homes were destroyed and more than $30 million in property damage was caused.

Jason Alexander Hobby, 49, was arrested Tuesday, Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said. Hobby was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on a charge of first-degree arson in connection with the fire that started on a guest farm where he worked west of Loveland, about 60 miles north of Denver.

The fire escaped a fire ring on the guest ranch on July 29, Feyen said. It is unclear whether it was intentional or accidental, he said. The wildfire, which damaged four other homes and destroyed 21 outbuildings, burned 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) of land before it was brought under control on Aug. 17.

Hobby was fired from the guest ranch after he was identified as a suspect in the fire, Feyen said.

Hobby also faces charges of impersonating a police officer, menacing and false imprisonment for allegedly stopping travelers on the ranch property while driving an SUV that looked like a police vehicle. Hobby allegedly represented himself as police, falsely told people they were trespassing and pointed a firearm at them, investigators said. Those actions preceded the fire, Feyen said.

Hobby had a pickup truck that looked like a fire truck and used it to pass checkpoints during the fire, the sheriff said.

Hobby’s bail was initially set at $250,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 24.