COLORADO NEWS

A Colorado wildfire was started by a guy cremating his dog

Sep 26, 2024, 5:40 PM | Updated: 5:41 pm

I thought the electrocuted birds starting wildfires was the weirdest way one had started, but not so fast…

According to an affidavit, 63-year-old man is accused of starting the Bucktail Fire that ignited on Aug. 1 in Montrose County, Colorado, northeast of Nucla, Colorado.

The man put his deceased dog in a pit with wood and lit the wood on fire. He threw a spray can on the fire, which exploded and caught a tree on fire. A police officer said he spotted the man riding an ATV in the area where the fire started not long after it was reported. A rock placed near the scene of the fire reads “Oct 2017 – July 2024. Rocket Dog. Rest in Peace Buddy.”

Now the man is not only grieving his dog, but is charged with arson.

The Bucktail Fire burned more than 7,200 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire of the 2024 Colorado wildfire season.

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A Colorado wildfire was started by a guy cremating his dog