A man being investigated for suspected arson in a cabin fire in Dolores County last week appeared Wednesday in Montezuma County court.

Shane Thomas Jones, 48, was arrested May 20 in Dolores by a Dolores County Sheriff’s deputy for suspected first-degree arson, second-degree criminal trespass and criminal mischief in connection with a cabin fire on Forest Road 526 that started May 19.

According to an arrest affidavit, Jones admitted to starting the cabin fire and said he then started other fires in the forest on his way to Dolores. He is jailed in the Montezuma County Detention Center.

Montezuma County Court Judge JenniLynn Lawrence set a $100,000 cash surety bond for Jones and issued protection orders prohibiting him from contacting victims of the arson. She also issued a protection order prohibiting Jones from being on San Juan National Forest property in Montezuma and Dolores counties.

A hearing for formal filing of charges by the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office is set for July 13.

Four wildfires that burned several miles northeast of Dolores May 20 in the Boggy Draw area were contained as of May 21, said Patrick Seekins, fire management officer for the San Juan National Forest.

The fires are under investigation by the San Juan National Forest, and occurred in federal jurisdiction. According to the wildfire incident database of the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, the fires are suspected to be human caused.

According to the arrest affidavit, during an investigation with Dolores County deputy Coty Kelshaw on May 20, Jones stated he “burnt down that old shed where Kin and Mike were going to kill me that day and went through the forest and set a few fires.”

The cabin was destroyed.

Three of the wildfires along Forest Service Road 527 were an acre or less. Another, dubbed the Colt fire, burned nearby north of Forest Road 257A and reached 30 acres. No structures were damaged.