Latest news with #ArchuletaCounty
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
2 arrested, accused in connection with Oak Fire in southwestern Colorado
Two suspects have been arrested for their connection to the Oak Fire that started in Aspen Springs in southwestern Colorado earlier this month. Sergio Alaniz Jr., 41 and Ross Heirigs, 60, were arrested on arson charges, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said the Oak Fire was started by an illegal burn at 152 Oak Drive in Aspen Springs on the afternoon of Aug. 10. Aspen Springs is located about 10 miles west of Pagosa Springs. That burn was, according to law enforcement, in violation of an ordinance for the regulation of open burning in unincorporated Archuleta County. The sheriff's office said the fire quickly spread through the subdivision and into another subdivision before firefighters were able to contain it. The Oak Fire burned approximately 75 acres. Some buildings were destroyed and other property was damaged.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Evacuations in Oak Fire near Pagosa Springs lifting Wednesday as containment grows
DENVER (KDVR) — A fire burning near the town of Pagosa Springs is nearly 50% contained, and Archuleta County officials say evacuations due to the fire will be lifting Wednesday. The Oak Fire has burned 75 acres in Archuleta County since igniting on Sunday west of Pagosa Springs in southwest Colorado. The fire was 47% contained as of Tuesday night when the sheriff's office announced the upcoming evacuation lifting. Colorado Wildfire Map A mandatory evacuation order was issued for one mile in all directions of 38 Spruce Circle west of Pagosa Springs and was expanded up to Elk Park subdivision, including Elk Park. The sheriff's office in a Facebook post said the evacuation will be lifted at noon Wednesday. 'All fire personnel will still be actively engaged to work on the remaining uncontained 53% of the fire,' the sheriff's office said. 'PLEASE drive carefully.' An alert will be sent to residents when the area officially reopens, and residents reentering the area will need to show proof of address to be let back onto their properties. Pre-evacuation zones were already lifted Monday evening as containment of the fire started. In an update on the fire, the sheriff's office said crews made progress throughout Tuesday, though there are a significant number of hot spots, root systems burning underground and sections of fire edge that are smoldering that need to be addressed. More than 100 people are working on the fire, and the sheriff's office estimated the fire to have costed $2 million. Officials had said the fire damaged one barn, one pump house, one pergola, one carport and one camper trailer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado Secretary of State, election officials laud arrest in Archuleta County election equipment firebombing
Colorado election officials on Monday are praising the work of law enforcement in making an arrest in connection with a firebombing attack that targeted election equipment last month. The attack happened in the early morning hours of June 12, and on June 26, William Wayne Bryant, 71, of Archuleta County, was arrested. He's since posted a $10,000 surety bond but is due back in court on July 23 to face formal charges. He's facing charges of first-degree arson and possession of an explosive or incendiary device, both felonies. A statement from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office on Monday said Bryan publicly expressed "election conspiracies and anti-tax beliefs according to the affidavit for arrest warrant." CBS News Colorado has requested a copy of that report, but "according to the same affidavit, a 'Molotov cocktail-type device' was thrown into a room that holds voting equipment," the Secretary of State's Office said. "It is appalling that a Colorado elections office was firebombed, and even more so that the suspect has a history of spreading election conspiracies. Attacks on democratic institutions must be strongly condemned," Colorado's Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in that statement. "I take any threat to elections incredibly seriously, and thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case. We will support the Archuleta County Clerk's Office and ensure they are able to fully recover from this attack." Election workers and offices around the country have seen an increase in violence and violent threats since 2020, according to election officials and several organizations that track those trends. Those acts have led to election workers leaving those jobs in higher numbers than before. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there has been 36% turnover nationwide, compared to 20 to 30% prior to 2020. In Colorado, it's even higher at nearly 40%. Analysis by CBS News found that 25 of Colorado's 64 counties have lost at least one top-level local election official since 2020, meaning 39% of those overseeing the presidential election this year are new to their job. "The Colorado County Clerks Association is grateful to federal, state, and local law enforcement and the Colorado Department of State for their prompt and professional response to this situation. While the investigation remains ongoing, we unequivocally condemn any deliberate act or threat of political violence," Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado Clerks Association, said in a statement on Monday. "Colorado's County Clerks and their teams serve as nonpartisan and trusted stewards of our democratic process. Any attempt to intimidate or harm them—or compromise their facilities—is an affront to democracy itself and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Bryant's attorney, David Ottman, previously served as a prosecutor in the same judicial district where Bryant has been charged. Ottman did not immediately respond to a phone call or email seeking comment Monday morning.
