Camper admits starting Last Chance Fire

LAS CRUCES (KRQE) - An El Paso, Texas, man pleaded guilty Friday to starting the Last Chance Fire that ripped through a section of the Lincoln National Forest and threated the community of Queen.

Rodrigo Ulloa Esquivel, 29, admitted that on April 24 he set toilet paper on fire near a campsite in Last Chance Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains.  A stiff wind spread sparks starting a fire that quickly grew beyond attempts fo Ulloa and a his companions attempts to contain it.

Ulloa also said he knew fire restrictions were in place at the time.

The fire eventually spread over 53,342 acres costing $2.3 million to fight and causing $67,500 in damage to structures at the Sitting Bull Falls recreation area.

Ulloa pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving a fire unattended.  He faces a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.