Sheriff Disputes Times in Black Forest Wildfire

The El Paso County sheriff has released a timeline of the fatal Black Forest wildfire that contradicts a description released by the local fire department.

The document released Monday by Sheriff Terry Maketa is the latest round in his dispute with Black Forest Fire/Rescue Chief Bob Harvey.

Maketa’s timeline says state fire managers took control from Harvey about 1 hour and 40 minutes later than the Black Forest agency said.

The dispute began in November when Harvey said the fire was intentionally set. Maketa, whose department is in charge of the investigation, said deputies hadn’t determined that. Maketa also questioned how well Harvey managed the fire.

A spokesman for Black Forest Fire/Rescue declined to comment, saying a review is underway.

The June fire killed two people and destroyed 486 houses.