A Montezuma County sheriff report states that property owner Joseph Spear admitted he accidentally started the wildfire during a controlled burn of weeds on his property on County Road X.
The fire quickly got out of control, damaging a neighbor’s property and spreading to the San Juan National Forest. Dispatch was not notified before the controlled burn, as required by Montezuma County ordinance, officials report.
The county’s costs came to $12,500, of which $10,000 will be reimbursed by the state, officials reported.
“I feel the property owner has some responsibility, and we may look at recouping some of our costs,” said Montezuma County Commissioner Keenan Ertel.
Because of the risk of the fire spreading to thick timber along McPhee Reservoir, federal officials called in a Type 2 firefighting crew, a helicopter, and single engine air tankers (SEAT) to dump fire retardant on the blaze. The tanker rang up a $113,000 bill on the fire’s first day.
Dolores District Ranger Derek Padilla said there is always the potential for the agency to pursue reimbursement of wildfire costs that are human-caused, but whether that will happen in the Sage Hen fire is undetermined.
Sheriff Steve Nowlin said that Spear was not ticketed because the fire was an unintentional accident.
“He was very shaken up and felt terrible,” Nowlin said. “It’s fortunate no one was injured. The wind immediately fueled flames 4 feet high in cheatgrass, and away it went.”
Shortly after the fire, the commissioners instituted a county-wide fire ban that is still in effect. On June 18, the day of the controlled burn and subsequent wildfire, a fire ban had not been issued, and there was not a high-wind warning or advisory. Failing to call in a controlled burn to dispatch is punishable by a fine up to $1,000, according to county ordinance.
Jeff Vandevoorde, chief of the Cortez Fire Protection District, said the law requiring notification before a controlled burn is for practical reasons.
“It keeps everyone aware on what is going on,” he said, “and allows dispatch to inform people looking to burn if there is a fire ban in place or a Red Flag day for high winds.”
Under the ordinance, open fires are not allowed when the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag warning for fire conditions.
Campers and hikers were evacuated from the area during the Sage Hen fire, and residences were put on a pre-evacuation order. A neighbor’s two custom hunting blinds were destroyed in the fire, and were estimated to cost $2,500 each, according to a sheriff incident report.
Fire officials said a property owner who lights a controlled burn is liable for damages if the fire gets out of control and damages a neighbor’s property.
The Sage Hen fire was controlled within four days after efforts by regional fire departments, the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.