A quick-moving fire, dubbed the Roatcap Fire, burned 400 acres and pushed 30 families from their homes south of Dolores Wednesday.
The fire started after a controlled trash burn got out of control just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday near Road 29 and P.5.
“We know it was man caused,” Lt. Ted Meador with the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office said during a community meeting at the Dolores Community Center Wednesday night. “We have a person of interest and the Sheriff's Department is on top of it.”
Community members grumbled and expressed anger about the person responsible.
Montezuma County Sheriff Dennis Spruell said Thursday that an arrest has been made in the case.
On Friday, the Montezuma County Court identified the suspect as Roger Stratton, 53, of Dolores.
“We do have a suspect, but it appears to be unintentional,” Spruell said.
Spruell said the suspect needs to be held accountable for his careless actions.
The person may have dumped ash from his stove, which triggered the fast-moving fire, he said.
Around 100 firefighters were on the scene Thursday, some coming from as far away as Moab.
Spruell reported at the Dolores Community Center Wednesday night that no structures had been lost in the fire, which apart form 40 acres of BLM land, is burning on private land.
“The firefighters are working their buts off,” Spruell said.
Spruell told the crowd of about 100 people in the community center that they had to stay clear of their homes if they were evacuated because of their safety and the safety of the fire fighters.
“Please don't go busting through a roadblock,” Spruell said. “This is our community. This is the firefighter's community, we are doing everything we can.”
High winds, up to 60 mph, and rugged terrain made it impossible for firefighters to get the jump on the fire initially, said Cortez Fire Chief Jeff Vandevoorde. Helicopters couldn't drop water on the fire because of the high wind.
“It jumped a lot of barriers,” Vandevoorde said.
The Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center ordered two type 2 firefighting crews, in addition a type 1 hotshot crew was pulled away from the Vallecito Fire near Durango, as well as an air attack crew, a type 1 helicopter, single engine air tanker and heavy air tanker.
According to fire officials, planes were not an option because of the high winds, which reached gusts of 60 mph. Bulldozers were being used to fight the blaze in a number of areas
Spruell said that the Montezuma County Sheriff's Department can't force anyone to leave their homes, but once they do, they can enforce roadblocks.
Spruell said Wednesday night that the homes between roads 30 and 28 were in the “danger zone.”
Firefighters were making a stand at roads 30 and S.2 Wednesday night.
“This was a very, very, very fast spreading fire,” Vandevoorde said.
Forty five people were reportedly out of power Wednesday because of damage to a power pole. Power was expected to be restored shortly that evening.
A Red Cross Shelter was set up at Kemper Elementary School in Cortez. Food, bedding and other necessities was provided.
Four people affected by the fire stayed at the school, Shanks said Thursday morning.
Cindi Shank, Southwest Colorado Director of Red Cross, said that donations can also be dropped off at the school or the Dolores Fire Station for firefighters.
“They need water, sports drinks and protein bars,” Shank said.
The weather is expected to be favorable for firefighters today. But Wednesday's dry, windy weather was not good for firefighters.
“The wind was howling and a cold front was coming in. A very unusual event,” said Scott McDermid, fire management officer for the Dolores Public Lands.
The Cortez Journal contributed to this report.
