Arrests made in the Cold Springs Fire

Sunday afternoon at 4:40 p.m., Boulder County sheriff’s detectives arrested two men at the Nederland High School evacuation site for their suspected role in the start of the Cold Springs Fire. Jimmy Andrew Suggs, 28, and Zackary Ryan Kuykendall, 26, both of Vinemont, Alabama, have been charged with 4th Degree Arson, a class four felony. The men face a felony arson charge because lives were endangered as a result of the fire.

Fire investigators and sheriff’s detectives were able to determine that the origin of the fire was an ad hoc campsite near the Peak-to-Peak Highway and Cold Springs Road. The two men, along with a female friend, were camping on private property and had established a campfire overnight Thursday into Friday morning. Officers believe that the men did not ensure that the fire was properly extinguished by dousing it with water, or making sure the ashes were cool to the touch before leaving the site. It is believed that the winds in the area, combined with the weather, allowed the fire to continue smoldering. The fire eventually spread from the campsite, resulting in the Cold Springs Fire. The initial wildfire was reported through 911 on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Both men have been booked and lodged at the Boulder County Jail. Their female companion, Elizabeth Burdeshaw, 20, also from Vinemont, Alabama, is not facing charges, as she did not have any involvement in creating, maintaining, or extinguishing the campfire.

For more specific information related to the current status of the #ColdSpringsFire, please refer to http://www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status. Updates are also being provided by social media through @BoulderOEM.