Overview
- Jason Hobby, 50, entered a not-guilty plea before Judge Sarah B. Cure, with a three-week jury trial slated to begin July 6, 2026.
- He faces first-degree arson, two counts of impersonating a peace officer, felony menacing, false imprisonment, and impersonating a public servant.
- Authorities say the July 29, 2024 Alexander Mountain Fire burned about 9,668 to 10,000 acres, destroyed roughly 29 to 30 homes, forced thousands to evacuate, and began at a campfire ring.
- Investigators allege Hobby posed as law enforcement and a wildland firefighter, used vehicles outfitted with “Twin Buttes Fire Protection” emblems to bypass roadblocks, and in one instance pointed a gun.
- An arrest affidavit cites unverified firefighter credentials in Wyoming, a failed polygraph on the fire-origin question, workplace discipline at Sylvan Dale Ranch, and reported hostility toward a planned Heart-J Center land transfer; he is free on a $450,000 bond with a status conference set for Jan. 27.