A Colorado man is charged with arson in a wildfire that destroyed 26 homes

LOVELAND, Colorado – A Colorado man has been charged with arson following an investigation into a wildfire this summer that destroyed 26 homes and caused more than $30 million in property damage, authorities said Wednesday.

Jason Alexander Hobby, 49, was arrested Tuesday, said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. Hobby is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. He is charged with first-degree arson. The fire broke out at a guest ranch west of Loveland, about 60 miles north of Denver.

The fire broke out from a fire ring on the guest ranch on July 29, Feyen said. It is unclear whether it was started intentionally or accidentally, he said. The wildfire, which damaged four other homes and destroyed 21 outbuildings, burned 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) of land before it was contained on August 17.

Hobby was fired from his job at the guest ranch after he was identified as a suspect in the fire, Feyen said.

Hobby also faces charges of impersonating a police officer, threatening and false imprisonment for allegedly stopping travelers on the guest ranch property while driving an SUV designed to look like a police vehicle. Hobby allegedly impersonated a police officer, falsely told people they were trespassing and pointed a firearm at them, investigators said. These actions preceded the fire, Feyen said.

Hobby had a pickup truck that looked like a wildfire rescue vehicle and used it to pass checkpoints during the fire, the sheriff said.

Hobby's bail was initially set at $250,000. His next court date is scheduled for September 24.