ASPEN, Colo. — A man and woman charged in connection with a wildfire that destroyed three homes in western Colorado have pleaded guilty.
The Aspen Times reports 24-year-old Richard Miller and 23-year-old Allison Marcus pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of setting fire to woods or prairie and are scheduled to be sentenced July 1.
Prosecutors say the two, both of El Jebel, started the Lake Christine Fire last July by firing incendiary tracer rounds at a shooting range. The wildfire destroyed three homes in the El Jebel area, scorched nearly 20 square miles and forced thousands of people from their homes.
Miller and Marcus struck a plea deal calling for a sentence that includes 45 days in jail, 1,500 hours of community service, $100,000 each in restitution and five years of probation.