A man has been arrested in two arson fires set at a Keystone lodge over the weekend.
According to a news release from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Keystone resident Matthew Hiner, 23, was charged with first-degree arson in connection with a fire Sunday morning in a linen closet at the Keystone Lodge & Spa.
He also has been charged with second-degree arson in connection with another fire in the lodge’s storage shed across U.S. 6.
The fires caused $50,000 to $75,000 in damage, according to Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue. No one was injured in either fire, and in both instances, the flames were contained to one room.
Hiner was found shortly after the fires in the laundry room of a housing complex near the blazes as authorities were canvassing the area. He claimed to be doing laundry, but officers became suspicious because he did not have any laundry with him, according to Paulette Horr, a spokeswoman with the Sheriff’s Office.
First-degree arson, a Class 3 felony, carries a possible penalty of four to 12 years imprisonment and $3,000 to $750,000 in fines.
Hiner is being held in the Summit County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Sally S. Ho: 303-954-1638 or sho@denverpost.com
