A Montrose County man is accused of starting a wildfire this summer while trying to cremate his dog, which had earlier been ordered to be euthanized by local officials.
On Wednesday, Brent Garber, 63, is scheduled for a plea hearing in Montrose County court. Police records state the blaze, which covered 7,202 acres - which is roughly more than 11 square miles, was traced back to a dugout where Garber, who is unhoused, had tried to perform a remembrance ceremony for his dog, complete with a sign reading: “Rocket Dog. Rest in Peace Buddy.”
Garber faces three felony counts: a pair of arson charges as well as a second-degree trespassing charge. The Bucktail fire, which began burning Aug. 1, damaged several acres of private property and a cabin, according to an arrest affidavit for Garber. The story was first reported by the Montrose Press.
According to the affidavit from the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, Garber was seen in the area where the fire originated on the first day of the fire. Police Cmdr. Bruce Schmalz reported seeing Garber driving in the area on an ATV and knew that Garber was living in a camper on nearby public land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Schmalz told fire investigators he suspected Garber may have started the fire.
Specifically, Schmalz said he told investigators that Garber had recently had his dog euthanized by order of the town of Nucla and that Garber “told me he was going to bury his dog on private property,” according to the affidavit. Witnesses quoted in the report said Garber told them the court order to euthanize was a result of a fight Rocket was involved in with another dog.
According to the affidavit, witnesses told investigators that Garber “was really down” but that he “did not put the blame anywhere else and knew it was his fault.”
Investigators then found the dugout with a partially burned dog as well as the memorial plaque, which was carved into a rock and suggested the dog had lived from October 2017 until July 2024.
The Bucktail fire was one of the largest that ignited across Colorado over the summer, though given its location in the remote western portion of Montrose County, no residents were evacuated. The arrest affidavit estimates the Bucktail fire caused more than $200,000 in damages, including damage to the cabin and privately owned land.
