The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado arrested a man who is suspected to have intentionally started a brush fire off of State Highway 74. Deputies slowed the spread of the fire using fire extinguishers until crews could arrive.
GOLDEN, Colo. — A man accused of intentionally setting a brush fire along Highway 74 in Jefferson County, Colorado, was arrested Monday as firefighters across the Four Corners region grapple with multiple wildfires.
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According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, multiple witnesses reported seeing a man standing over a fire on the south side of the highway.
As deputies responded to the fire, they said they located a suspect nearby that matched eyewitness descriptions.
Body camera video shows police arresting 25-year-old Ben Royce Johnson while another officer rushed to fight the flames with a fire extinguisher until firefighters could arrive and completely knock down the blaze.
The Aspen Acres Wildfire broke out in Pueblo County, Colorado, on June 29, 2026.
(Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office / FOX Weather)
This comes as the entire region grapples with dangerous fire weather.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a verbal disaster declaration on Monday due to the Aspen Acres Fire, which has now destroyed over 150 buildings and injured a firefighter across Pueblo and Custer counties.
Suspect Arrested in Connection with Intentional Brush Fire Along Highway 74
At about 4:46 p.m. on June 29, 2026, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a man intentionally setting fire to brush near mile marker 16 on State Highway 74.
Multiple witnesses… pic.twitter.com/i5YPMKJd4T
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) June 30, 2026
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Wildfires have scorched over 250,000 acres across both Colorado and Utah after several weeks of strong winds mixed with extremely dry conditions have created dangerous wildfire conditions.
Thick smoke blocks the sky in between mountains in Utah’s Beaver County on Tuesday, June 23.
(U.S. Forest Service – Fishlake National Forest/Facebook / FOX Weather)
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings remain through Wednesday across Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.
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A dry winter across the Intermountain West has helped lay the foundation for the current wildfire threat. Much of the Rockies have received less than 25% of their average snowfall this past season.
