Man Charged With 141 Counts Of Arson For Spring Creek Fire Will Stand Trial

<p>Nathaniel Minor/CPR News</p>
<p>Stands of trees were burned in the Spring Creek Fire along Old La Veta Pass in Huerfano County, Colorado.</p>
Photo: Spring Creek Fire 3 | Old La Veta Pass
Stands of trees were burned in the Spring Creek Fire along Old La Veta Pass in Huerfano County, Colorado.

A judge has ruled that a Denmark native will stand trial for 141 counts of arson, representing the homes and buildings destroyed by the third-largest wildfire recorded in Colorado.

Authorities arrested Jesper Joergensen on June 28 after he told police that he started a fire to burn trash. Joergensen then told police that he was grilling in a fire pit the day before the wildfire started.

Officials announced in early September that the Spring Creek Fire had been fully contained after destroying more than 100,000 acres and burning more than 100 structures.

Joergensen's attorney, James Waldo, did not immediately return a voicemail Friday seeking comment.

The Alamaso Valley Courier reports Waldo argued that Joergensen should not face felony charges because he did not intend to cause the damage attributed to the wildfire.