By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press A judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against a Danish man accused of starting a Colorado wildfire that destroyed about 140 homes in 2018 after he was repeatedly found unable to stand trial. It was not clear what would happen to Jesper Joergensen, who has been diagnosed with delusional […]
Spring Creek Fire
Posted inNews
Emergency alerts were a problem long before the Marshall fire, reports show
More than 10,000 calls warning residents to flee failed when the Waldo Canyon fire exploded near Colorado Springs in 2012. Thousands of people were left without warnings as flames destroyed 347 homes and killed two people. That same year, evacuation alerts were sent to the wrong phone numbers during the Lower North Fork fire — […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Outdoors, Wildfire
As people are increasingly drawn outdoors, the risk of wildfires is rising
In July 2020, Seth Zachek was volunteering at a wildly popular trail in the San Juan mountains just outside of Silverton. The goal: teaching hikers how to tread lightly in the Ice Lakes Basin, a pristine wonderland high in the range. The irony wasn’t lost on Zachek when volunteers discovered a plume of smoke and […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Wildfire
Forced medication recommended for Danish man suspected of igniting massive Colorado wildfire
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press A psychiatrist has recommended that a mentally ill Danish man accused of starting a wildfire that burned 149 homes should be forcibly medicated, which could pave the way to him being able to stand trial over three years later. The finding of the doctor at the state mental hospital, […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Wildfire
Colorado judge declines to drop charges against Danish man blamed for Spring Creek fire
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press A judge on Friday decided against dropping criminal charges lodged against a mentally ill Danish man accused of starting a large Colorado wildfire that burned 149 homes in 2018. The decision came after a prosecutor said Jesper Joergensen would not be deported if released from jail because of Biden […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Wildfire
Colorado judge weighs dropping charges against Danish man accused of starting massive wildfire
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press With no viable option remaining for trying a mentally ill Danish man accused of starting a large Colorado wildfire in 2018, a judge said Thursday he will rule next week on whether to dismiss criminal charges against him. Before deciding the fate of Jesper Joergensen, Judge Gregory Lyman said […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Lawyer for Danish man charged with starting massive Colorado wildfire wants case dismissed
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press A lawyer for a Danish man charged with arson for starting a wildfire that destroyed over 100 homes in southern Colorado in 2018 urged a judge on Thursday to dismiss the case against him because doctors have found him unable to stand trial three times due to his mental […]
Posted inCOVID, Politics and Government
Colorado activated the National Guard to help with coronavirus. The lowest rank makes just $1.67 an hour.
The minimum pay for the 50 Colorado National Guard members called to duty by Gov. Jared Polis in response to the new coronavirus outbreak is just $1.67 an hour. Colorado lawmakers gave final approval to legislation in early March to boost the paltry salary days before the state’s emergency declaration and the guard’s activation to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Outdoors, Water, Wildfire
Climate change is transforming Western forests. And that could have big consequences far beyond wildfires.
LA VETA — From her family’s summer cabin north of Walsenburg, Camille Stevens-Rumann could see the glow of the Spring Creek Fire on the ridge to the south in the summer of 2018. “It was pretty spectacular, my 4-year-old was excited,” she said This past June, Stevens-Rumann walked a burnt slope near the town of […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Energy, Environment, Growth, News, Outdoors, Wildfire
This Colorado ranch-made-lab is turning beetle-kill trees into lumber in the name of forest health
Trinchera Blanca Ranch has three 14ers, large elk herds and thousands of acres of dying trees that are fueling a thriving business and new experiments in forest health management.