Page 2 - Campfire Ring News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Photographed the campfire ring and searched for clues. their initial conclusion, a in-brainer, careless campers started the fire. in fact, a witness did report seeing a van leaving the area. >> i'm thinking why am i going to a campfire, you know? >> reporter: jones remembers thinking it was a waste of time tracking six hours through the smoky haze to find and question a negligent camper? what is it like being back to the scene of the crime? >> it's -- it's a little strange to be back because it doesn't look anything like it did then. >> reporter: when jones first arrived here, the very place w...

Former police detective. so moments after she arrived, jones was certain this was no ordinary fire, but a crime scene. forest service worker terry barton was on fire lookout in pike national forest when she spotted a fire. these first moments of the fire proved so critical that investigators asked barton to recreate them on tape. barton first tried to smother the flames, then realized she needed backup fast. the fire erupted and raged out of control. when investigators arrived, they photographed the campfire ring and searched for clues. their initial conclusion, a no-brainer, careless campers ...

>> what is it like being back at the scene of the crime? >> it's a little strange to be back because it didn't look like anything like it did then. >> reporter: when jones first arrived here, the very place where the fire began, her instincts immediately took over. remember, there was a drought and high temperatures. >> it was a 90-degree day and no one's going to build a fire. >> reporter: she talked to the first investigators. >> as i'm looking at things, i don't see any evidence of camping. they were like maybe it was a hot dog they cooked. where is the trash? >> reporter: it was common sen...

>> reporter: so good, he trains many of the nation's wildfire investigators. >> watch how it comes out low and goes out high. >> reporter: hours after she called for help he flew to colorado at the same time the driver of that van spotted leaving the scene was found but had an alibi and was cleared. investigators had no other leads so they returned to the scene and began a pain staking forensic investigation. he mapped the path of the flame with colored flags. >> we were going to use the physical marks a fire leaves, which is basically the fire's footprints. >> reporter: and sifted through the...

And began a painstaking foreencic investigation. he mapped the path of the flame with colored flags. >> we were going to use the physical marks a fire leaves, which is basically the fire's footprints. >> reporter: and sifted through the ashes at the campfire ring. jones had already removed the crucial evidence, the three matches, but photos showing their exact position when the fire ignited was vital. >> being able to enhance that photograph and bring that original position of those matches out was fairly critical to our theory. there's one, you can see the head and the stem. there's the secon...