One unanswered question remains 10 years after the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Ten years after the Waldo Canyon, no arrests have been made.

Investigators say they’re still no further along in figuring out who caused the fire. 11 News Anchor Adam Atchison spoke with the Chief for the Colorado Springs Police Department asking a number of questions, including a straightforward one.

Why?

The response from the chief is key to answering the important question.

The fire was first spotted on June 23, 2012. That was when the 18-day battle started. The first flames of the Waldo Canyon Fire were reported around noon. A group of bicyclists on Rampart Range Road were west of Colorado Springs when they saw the smoke. They may have captured some of the first images of the fire, minutes after it broke out.

More than 18,000 acres were burned. A total of 347 homes destroyed. Two lives lost, William and Barbara Everett.

When 11 News asked CSPD Police Chief Adrian Vasquez why no one has been arrested, his answer was simple.

“I think the only way we’re going to know who is if someone comes forward,” Vasquez replied.

For years, investigators have said the fire was human-caused. They are keeping the details of what caused the fire to themselves.

The specific cause is something investigators keep close, because they feel they can easily vet out false information provided to them. If the fire was intentionally started, the two deaths would be considered homicides.

But Vasquez says the possibility remains that the first flames were a tragic accident. His hope, that someone will come forward.

" I believe strongly that the person who set this fire has told somebody,” Vasquez said. “Somebody else... other than that person... knows.”

There has been no significant change in the investigation for a decade.

If you have information that you believe could help investigators, call 719-444-7000.

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