Truck driver faces charges for starting fire by dragging lowered landing gear, Colorado sheriff says

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) says that a truck driver is facing criminal charges after allegedly starting a prairie fire by dragging landing gear along an interstate in Colorado.

Around 1 a.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026, SCSO reported that a “wildland fire that ignited in Sedgwick County” had been contained with help from “multiple agencies, fire departments, communications centers, medical services, and community partners from across the region.”

Police said that the fire was contained inside the boundaries of I-76, Highway 59, County Road 18, and County Road 19. No structures were lost and no injuries were reported.

“Following containment of the fire, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office received a tip along with video footage showing a semi truck traveling eastbound on I-76 near mile marker 165 while dragging the lowered landing gear of the trailer, producing sparks that ignited the prairie fire,” SCSO said.

Police located the suspect truck parked on the eastbound Julesburg on-ramp near mile marker 180, and “after further investigation, the driver was charged in connection with setting fire to the prairie, and the semi-truck and trailer were impounded as evidence.”

CBS News identified the truck driver as Scott Trumbo, 52, of California.