DENVER | A Denmark native will stand trial for 141 counts of arson, representing the homes and buildings destroyed by the third-largest wildfire recorded in Colorado, a judge ruled Friday.
Jesper Joergensen was arrested on June 28 after he told authorities that he started a fire to burn garbage. Joergensen then explained to the police that he was grilling in a fire pit the day before the wildfire started.
The fire had been fully contained in September after destroying more than 100,000 acres and burning more than 100 structures.
Joergensen’s attorney, James Waldo, did not immediately return a voicemail Friday seeking comment.
Waldo argued that Joergensen should not face felony charges because he did not intend to cause the damage attributed to the wildfire, according to the Alamaso Valley Courier.
