Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are helping El Paso County authorities in trying to figure out what started the Waldo Canyon fire, an FBI spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
“The FBI Denver Division is working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement to determine if any of the wildland fires resulted from criminal activity,” local FBI spokesman Dave Joly wrote in an e-mailed statement. “FBI personnel are supporting command post operations in the fire regions and offering assistance with managing the volumes of information related to these tragic events.”
The cause of the Waldo Canyon Fire, which started around noon Saturday in a popular hiking area west of Colorado Springs, is still unknown. The fire has quickly grown to become the highest firefighting priority in the country and prompted the evacuation of all of northwest Colorado Springs.
Authorities have so far not even said whether they believe the blaze is human or naturally caused. But a string of fires set by an apparent serial arsonist in neighboring Teller County have caused rumors to swirl that the Waldo Canyon Fire could be the work of the same individual.
On Wednesday, El Paso County Sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Kramer said, despite the rumors, there is no person of interest. Investigators are taking tips from anyone who may know what happened in Waldo Canyon.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
