A juvenile charged in the Weber Canyon Fire has been sentenced as a juvenile delinquent for willfully lighting timber on fire on public lands and the destruction of government property in excess of $1,000, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney John Walsh in Denver.
The juvenile apologized for the two acts of delinquency and to those who were affected by the fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres just southeast of Mancos last June and resulted in evacuation orders for 140 households.
Flames came within feet of several houses, but only a small outbuilding was lost.
The juvenile had been accused of gathering leaves and underbrush and using a lighter to start the fire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The juvenile was subjected to a two-day trial in February in U.S. District Court in Durango, which was closed to the public and not heard by a jury.
The court still is in the process of determining an amount of restitution. No other information was available Thursday.
The juvenile’s name, age and gender have not been released.
jhaug@durangoherald.com
