A 63-year-old Western Slope man was arrested on suspicion of arson and trespassing after allegedly starting a wildfire while trying to cremate his dog, according to the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office.

The Bucktail fire sparked north of Nucla on Aug. 1 and burned across 7,200 acres of private and national forest land for more than a week, destroying one home, before firefighters gained significant containment.

Brent Scott Garber was first identified as a suspect after a Montrose County Sheriff’s Office commander recognized him as he was driving an ATV away from the fire just minutes after it was reported, according to an arrest affidavit. Garber’s arrest was first reported by the Montrose Daily Press.

The commander later met with state fire investigators at the fire’s starting point and found a dug-out cave, the partially burned body of a dog and a large rock with the words “Oct. 2017 July 2024, Rocket Dog, Rest in Peace Buddy” etched on it with a bone glued below the words.

Rocket was Garber’s dog and was euthanized by Nucla town officials under a judge’s order because Rocket got into a fight with another dog, according to the affidavit.

Garber lived in a camper near the fire’s origin point, and witnesses later told investigators Garber told them he accidentally started the fire after a spray can he threw in blew out of the pit and lit a tree on fire.

Sheriff’s officials estimated the fire caused more than $300,000 in damage, according to the affidavit.

Garber was released from jail and is set to appear in court Wednesday.

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