Sometimes, it's better to just let the professionals handle things. That's especially true during times of mourning when you may not have the clearest head. A 63-year-old man tried to cremate his dog but allegedly started one of the biggest wildfires in Colorado this year.
We're talking about the Bucktail Fire of course. That fire started on August 1 about 350 miles west of Denver. Before firefighters could fully contain it, it ended up burning through more than 7,200 acres of private and national forest land. It also destroyed one home as well.
Now, authorities are accusing Brent Scot Garber of starting the fire. They charged him with both arson and trespassing. According to the Denver Post, Garber allegedly started the fire after trying to cremate his dog. Authorities first tagged Garber as a suspect after an officer observed him driving away from the fire on an ATV. I know, talk about caught red-handed, right? But we'll observe the practice of innocent before proven guilty.
Cremation Turns Into One Of Largest Wildfires
Upon further investigation, investigators later found a dug-out cave in the woods. Within the cave, they found a partially burnt body of a dog. There was also a large rock with a sign. It read, "Oct. 2017 July 2024, Rocket Dog, Rest in Peace Buddy." There was also a bone glued on it. Rocket was Garber's dog. The town judge ordered the animal to be euthanized. The order came after the dog got in a fight with another dog.
It's all quite tragic to be honest. It sounds like Garber didn't mean to start the wildfire. He was just trying to mourn his best pal in his own way. Witnesses claim that he admitted to accidentally starting the fire. He said he threw a spray can in the pit and it exploded causing a tree to set ablaze.
The Bucktail Fire became one of the largest wildfires in Colorado this year. It will cost about $300,000 in damages. He was arrested at the beginning of September and will have a hearing on October 23. At this time, we don't know what penalties he will face for the wildfire.
