The suspects accused of starting the devastating Chateau Fire in Teller County are appearing in court Monday. All three of the suspects are facing First Degree Arson charges, which means that they could see up to eight years in jail.
23-year old David Renfrow, 19-year old Keegan Owens, and an unidentified 17-year old, are all accused of leaving an unattended campfire that sparked the Chateau Fire. Investigators say the group was camping when they lit the illegal campfire during a Stage 2 Fire Restriction in Teller County.
The suspects say they left the campsite at about 10:00 p.m. after being spooked by a bear and they thought they had put the fire out. Owens told detectives that he was aware of the ban, because his father had called him earlier that night and told him not to light a campfire.
The Chateau Fire broke out on June 29th, in the High Chateau subdivision. It burned more than 1400 acres and destroyed eight homes and several outbuildings.
