Ex-Forest Service Worker Pleads Guilty in Colo. Fire
DENVER — A former U.S. Forest Service employee pleaded guilty Friday to starting the biggest wildfire in Colorado history, which destroyed 133 homes and cost more than $29 million to contain.
Terry Barton, 38, admitted setting fire to federal land and making false statements to investigators, in a plea agreement that calls for a sentence of six years in federal prison, according to court documents. She would serve five years and one month with time off for good behavior. Sentencing was set for Feb. 21.
There was no decision on how much Barton should pay in fines or restitution. Prosecutors claim $38 million in property damage to federal land, not including private homes and other structures.
Barton, whose job included watching for fires, told investigators she accidentally started the blaze in June while burning a letter from her estranged husband in a campfire ring. Authorities believed she started the fire deliberately.
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