2 wildfire suspects talked with reporter before arrests

See the evacuations map here.

Officials say that a total of five homes have been lost since the fire flared up in extremely hot and windy weather on Saturday near Nederland, about 20 miles west of Boulder.

More than 480 personnel and 24 aircraft are assigned to the fire.

Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry said the warrant was obtained for Kuykendall because of his status as a sex offender. There are also numerous roads closed for fear that the fire department may accidentally dump buckets of water on them as cars passed by.

Sugarloaf Road is open and unrestricted for drivers entering from Peak to Peak Highway. Residents may need ID/proof of residence when entering from Boulder Canyon.

Residents and homeowners in the evacuation area may be allowed into the fire perimeter with an escort to get medications and retrieve/care for animals.

The fire began about 1:45 p.m. Saturday from what officials say was a poorly extinguished campfire.

Additionally, Longmont’s Mike Connolly was deployed as a single resource forward observer to the Beaver Creek Fire near Walden.

The cost to date on the Cold Springs Fire has been tallied at $1.7 million. Boulder County prosecutors had asked for a $750,000 bond for both men because they saw them as a flight risk.

Two Cullman County men have been arrested in Colorado and charged with starting a weekend fire that has destroyed six buildings, including three homes, and forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 people southwest of Boulder.

In court, a judge set a $200,000 bond for Kuykendall and a $150,000 bond for Suggs.

Karen Antonacci with the Boulder Daily Camera interviewed Suggs, Kuykendall and Burdeshaw the day before they were arrested.

“Both Suggs and Kuykendall had a discussion about doing more to put out the fire, but ultimately decided not to”, an arrest affidavit for the two men reads.

According to the documents, Suggs told investigators that it had to have been their fire that started the blaze because there was no one else around.

Right now, the Red Cross has said there has not been any call for volunteers or in-kind items. To volunteer when help is needed, Help Colorado Now’s website has a form to sign up for an e-newsletter with updates on volunteer needs.

According to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, a pre-evacuation notice was recently sent to 174 new contacts. “The arrival of unexpected volunteers will interfere with response efforts”. He went with firefighters Juan Salomon, Patrick Kramer and Nick Engen as well as Capt. John Weaver, who led the Boulder County Task Force. The fire crossed Boulder Canyon yesterday and firefighters were able to contain it quickly in that location.