A man accused of starting the Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County is no longer facing arson charges after prosecutors uncovered new evidence showing he could not have caused it.
The 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office moved Thursday to dismiss the charge against 51-year-old Jason Alexander Hobby, saying new evidence “directly contradicted original theories” that he started or maintained the fire.
The investigation into the 2024 Alexander Mountain fire included interviews with hundreds of witnesses, hundreds of police reports, more than a terabyte of digital evidence, multiple forensic evidence reports and hundreds of hours of body-worn camera videos, the district attorney’s office said.
Evidence related to Hobby’s potential alibi, access to the fire origin location and digital evidence from his cellphone provided direct evidence that he is unlikely to have ignited the fire.
“It would be unethical for a District Attorney’s Office to pursue a prosecution in which they did not believe the correct person was charged,” the office said in a statement.
Other charges against Hobby, including impersonating a peace officer, impersonating a public servant, felony menacing and false imprisonment, are still pending. He has pleaded not guilty to all of those charges and his trial is scheduled to begin in July.
Hobby has not been in custody since authorities began investigating the case. He posted bond and was released from jail two days after he was arrested in September 2024, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
No other arrests have been made in connection to the August 2024 fire that scorched nearly 10,000 acres and destroyed more than 50 structures, including 26 homes west of Loveland.
“We join in the significant disappointment of our community that the individual responsible for setting the fire remains unknown and accountability for their losses has not yet come,” the DA’s office said.
“Wildfires have been a frequent and traumatic threat to our community and all resources to determine the identity of the person who started the fire have been expended.”