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Seven high school students, including the son of the White River National Forest supervisor, are being charged with causing the Sunrise Court Fire south of Glenwood Springs on Aug. 28.
Six of the students are minors, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, but one of the suspects, Samuel Fitzwilliams, 18, will be charged as an adult.
The charges include firing woods or prairie, reckless endangerment and illegal use of fireworks.
Fitzwilliams is a senior at Glenwood Springs High School, and turned 18 in early August. He is a member of the Demons baseball team, and son of White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams.
Scott Fitzwilliams declined to comment on the charges.
There were no court records or probable cause documents on Fitzwilliams’ charges filed in the 9th District Court as of Monday afternoon.
The August fire burned nearly 20 acres on the hillside below Four Mile Ranch and immediately south of the Glenwood Springs Airport before fire crews got the blaze under control. Several structures were threatened, but no homes or other structures were damaged in the fire.
A total of 45 firefighters and 17 fire apparatus from Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection and other fire agencies responded to the fire.
