Alexander Mountain Fire suspect accused of setting fire and impersonating police officer appears in court

LOVELAND, Colo. (KKTV) – The man accused of starting a wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes and then taking advantage of the ensuing chaos by posing as a police officer appeared in court Tuesday.

Jason Hobby was arrested earlier this month on several charges, including first-degree arson and abuse of authority.

As 11 News previously reported, Hobby is said to have started a fire in a fire ring on Alexander Mountain at the end of July, the flames got out of control and spread. 50 buildings, including 29 houses, were destroyed and 4,000 hectares of land burned. He then repeatedly posed as a firefighter.

“Hobby also owns and operates a modified Ford truck equipped with equipment commonly seen on wildland fire apparatus. He operated under the Wyoming business name “Twin Buttes Fire Protection,” although there is no record of a registered firefighting organization by that name. During the Alexander Mountain Fire, Hobby bypassed road closures to gain access to restricted areas and posed as a wildland firefighter defending the ranch property,” the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff's office said Hobby was very adept at pretending to be someone he was not and allegedly went even further with that act before the fire.

“Evidence indicates that prior to the fire, Hobby stopped travelers on the ranch property on multiple occasions while driving a Chevrolet SUV designed to look like a police vehicle. The suspect reportedly posed as a police officer, falsely claimed individuals were trespassing, and pointed a firearm at them,” the sheriff's office said.

Hobby was arrested on Sept. 10 for his alleged actions before and during the fire. Sister station CBS Denver was present at his courtroom appearance Tuesday and said the judge has scheduled a disposition hearing for Nov. 12.

According to CBS Denver, Hobby lived in California before arriving in Colorado and had a long criminal history there.

All rights reserved.