FRISCO, Colo. — Police have arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for starting the Meadow Creek Fire that ignited in Colorado’s High Country over the weekend.

The Frisco Police Department took the individual into custody Saturday evening after a wildfire scorched approximately 6.3 acres of open space within the Town of Frisco. Authorities noted the suspect is not believed to be from the local area. The person remains in custody, and the case has been turned over to the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

On Sunday, crews from Summit Fire and EMS returned to the charred area to monitor hotspots and determine the fire’s exact cause and ignition source. While police have made an arrest, the official ruling on the cause still rests with the fire department.

“We know our transient population lives back in this area, that’s where we would put some focus,” said Battalion Chief Ryan Cole of Summit Fire and EMS in an interview with CBS Colorado. “But we can’t just zero in on one group. We have to really play into the whole factor.”

Summit County Dispatch received a 911 call around 5 p.m. Saturday reporting the blaze. It broke out on public land between Wildflower Lane, Meadow Drive, Whole Foods, and Interstate 70. The fire prompted temporary closures of I-70 as firefighters worked quickly to contain the flames.

About 30 firefighters from Summit Fire and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District responded, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to nearby homes, the Whole Foods store, and the highway. No injuries or structural damage were reported.

“The fire burned approximately 6.3 acres of Town of Frisco open space, which are largely part of the Meadow Creek conservation easement,” said town officials. “This 10.88-acre conservation easement was designated in 2020 and includes wetlands with primarily willows and an adjacent riparian area and floodplain buffer.”

Cole emphasized the broader trend of increasing wildfire activity across the region. He noted that the timing of the fire and the direction of the wind may have prevented a larger disaster.

“We’re in that population and we’re in that area that we’re seeing increased fire activity all the time,” Cole said. “Despite having a basically average snowpack year, we’re seeing fires pop up earlier and earlier every year.”

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