- Scott Carrier, 68, faces charges accusing him of sparking the Deer Creek Fire in San Juan County.
- The fire, which started July 10, burned 17,724 acres and cost $24 million to contain.
- Carrier allegedly burned trash during fire restrictions.
MONTICELLO — A 68-year-old man is facing criminal charges for allegedly sparking the Deer Creek Fire in San Juan County over the summer.
Scott Carrier, of the Old La Sal region in San Juan County, was charged Friday in 7th District Court with reckless burning damage, abandoning fire damage and causing a catastrophe recklessly, all class A misdemeanors; as well as violation of fire restrictions in a closed area, a class B misdemeanor.
Investigators discovered what they believed to be the origin of the fire — a garbage burn pile — on Carrier's property, according to a statement from the San Juan County Sheriff's Office. The property is located at the northern edge of the community of Old La Sal.
The fire began on July 10 and grew to 17,724 acres — threatening homes, wildlife, infrastructure and other personal property in the area — before it was contained on Aug. 11, the statement says.
The blaze prompted response efforts from multiple agencies, and fire officials estimate the cost of their efforts to be more than $24 million.
Charging documents say investigators with the sheriff's office discovered trash that had been burned on Carrier's property, which is in an area where Stage 1 fire restrictions were in effect.
Carrier admitted to burning piles of sagebrush during the winter, charges say, but investigators observed paper towels with burnt edges that had been recently drenched with water.
"The area around the burn pile appeared to have a large amount of water poured on it. There were also many piles of silica sand, not native to the area, dumped in piles around the burn pile," the charges state.
"This burn pile was west of where the sprinkler had been placed," the document continues. "Two small ignition points were found on the east side of the watered section. This is where the fire spread throughout the community."
Although Carrier allegedly said he regretted starting a fire on his property, the charges state that he maintained he was unaware of the cause of the catastrophic fire that ravaged the area.
The case against Carter will be prosecuted by the San Juan County Attorney's Office, the sheriff's office statement said.
