Man accused of starting small wildfire told authorities he tried to ‘keep bears away’
A man accused of starting a small wildfire in Montana told authorities he was trying to “keep bears away,” authorities said.
The Drinking Horse Fire ignited near a popular hiking trail by the same name early in the morning Wednesday, Oct. 12, NBC Montana reported. Law enforcement officials said the fire was “human caused” and told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle they found evidence that several small fires were started in the area without any safety precautions.
The fire burned through about one-seventh of an acre.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement for the U.S. Forest Service Custer Gallatin National Forest have been investigating the fire, according to Custer Gallatin National Forest officials.
A 41-year-old Bozeman man now faces arson charges and $10,000 bail, KZBK reported. He could face up to 20 years in prison, be fined up to $50,000 or both, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
The trail was closed while fire crews worked to extinguish the flames and leftover embers, Gallatin County Emergency Management wrote in a post on Facebook.
It reopened at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with a warning that hikers should be cautious on the trail and look out for loose rocks around the burned area, according to national forest officials.
The Drinking Horse Trail trailhead is about 5 miles north of downtown Bozeman, the Chronicle reported.
This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Man accused of starting small wildfire told authorities he tried to ‘keep bears away’."
