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18-Year-Olds Arrested, Accused Of Lighting Fireworks That Started Wildfire

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Two 18-year-olds who were allegedly lighting fireworks have been arrested and are accused of causing a 7-acre wildfire that burned a building and forced the closure of a state highway.

The North Turkey Creek Fire on Wednesday forced evacuations and destroyed an outbuilding, a storage unit and two cars before firefighters were able to get it under control.

highway 285 fire
The North Turkey Creek Fire (credit: Jefferson County)

Highway 285 was closed for three hours during the firefight.

Riley Costello and Andrew Askins were arrested on Thursday on tentative 2nd degree arson charges.

Riley Costello
Riley Costello (credit: Jefferson County)
Andrew Askins
Andrew Askins (credit: Jefferson County)

A fire ban was in effect on Wednesday at the time the fire started. Jefferson County authorities said a man who saw the fire while driving by immediately stopped and got some shovels out of his trunk.

"When our first deputy to the scene arrived, he saw three people with shovels trying to put the fire out," said sheriff's spokeswoman Jenny Fulton.

Authorities now believe the two people helping that driver in the effort to put out the fire were Askins and Costello.

Fulton said the two men expressed remorse over the situation and cooperated with police during their arrest.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Askins and Costello have been released on bond after being booked into the Jefferson County Jail.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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