Overview

• The Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests on Sept. 23 in connection with the Aug. 15 blaze in the Yellow Jacket area northeast of Meeker.
• The suspects are Zachary Williams, Ashley Renae Trujillo, Jason Dwayne Ridgeway, Michael Lee Buhler and William Argul Ekstrom Jr., and all five are in custody.
• Each person faces a Colorado felony count of firing woods or prairie as well as federal violations that include entering a forest closure, possessing fireworks, removing wood without a permit or fire during restrictions.
• Deputies said they preserved evidence while firefighters and air support were engaging the blaze and determined it was likely human-caused.
• The 35-acre fire was contained by the Complex Incident Management Team that was also managing the Lee and Elk fires, and the investigation involved the sheriff's office, Meeker Police, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.