Colorado man fined $200,000 for starting 2012 wildfire

A southwest Colorado man must pay $200,000 to state and federal agencies after a judge said he was guilty of starting a wildfire in October 2012.

Roger Stratton, 55, of Dolores, Colorado was sentenced last week in connection with the Roatcap Hill Fire, which triggered evacuations almost two years ago, according to The Cortez Journal.

Montezuma County District Judge Todd Plewe took “less than three minutes” to issue the fine, the bulk of which will go to the U.S. Forest Service and the state of Colorado, the newspaper reported.

Stratton pled guilty in the fall to starting the Roatcap Hill Fire, which burned around 400 acres on Oct. 24, 2012. The fire prompted the evacuation of 30 to 40 homes in the area, leading to a disaster declaration from Gov. John Hickenlooper, according to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.