A Hot Springs man is charged with starting a wildfire on Battle Mountain near Hot Springs just one week after the Alabaugh Fire destroyed 33 homes and claimed the life of a resident.

Francis Jahn, 57, was spotted by firefighters in the area of a wildfire on Battle Mountain on July 15, according to Fall River County Sheriff Jeff Tarrell. Jahn was interviewed at the scene, and an investigation followed, the sheriff said.

Crews were able to put out the fire quickly. It burned about a tenth of an acre, Tarrell said.

Jahn was arrested last Friday. He was indicted by a grand jury on charges of reckless burning and negligently allowing fire to spread, Tarrell said.

Jahn is being held in Fall River County Jail. Bond has been set at $50,000. His next court appearance is Friday, Aug. 24.

Tarrell said firefighters, the sheriff's office, state Division of Criminal Investigation, Hot Springs police, and police from the Department of Veterans Affairs took part in the investigation. Tarrell said he believed Jahn was spotted in the fire area by a firefighter from out of the area who was serving on fire danger severity patrol.

Hot Springs area residents have been especially aware of fire danger since the Alabaugh Fire, which began July 7 and burned more than 10,000 acres before it was contained July 12.

Tarrell said the Battle Mountain fire could have been much worse because conditions have been extremely dry in that area. "That's the last place, after Alabaugh, that we want to see a fire right now. It's bad up there," he said.

Tarrell said the Hot Springs area has received a little rain but not nearly enough to reduce the fire danger.

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com