Settlement reached in wildfire investigation

GRAND JUNCTION, CO—The Bureau of Land Management reached a settlement agreement last week with the insurance company of David Meyers from DeBeque, Colorado. In July 2003, interagency firefighters responded to a wildfire that had spread onto BLM public lands from Meyer’s adjoining private property. A BLM fire investigation team found the cause of the fire to be directly related to the use of equipment on Meyer’s property. The U.S. Government will receive a payment of $64,000 for reimbursement of wildland firefighting suppression costs.

“This should stand as a reminder, as we approach the 2006 wildfire season,” BLM Special Agent in Charge John Silence said. “The ramifications to those who choose to be careless, and have a disregard for fire restrictions can be severe.”

The 125-acre Carr Fire, the smaller of two fires burning in the area at the time, was located in northwest Colorado, 30 miles northeast of Grand Junction in Garfield County, and 15 miles north of the town of DeBeque.

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