Vail Fires Called Work of Arsonists

Investigators officially blamed arsonists for a series of fires atop Vail Mountain that caused an estimated $12 million in damage. A group calling itself the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the fires that destroyed three major buildings and portions of four chairlifts. Vail beefed up security and said it would protect skiers at the jet-set playground, which is scrambling to salvage the season. Accelerants were found on the mountain, where chemists and officers using specially trained dogs had been looking for clues at 11,000 feet. The resort plans to open in two weeks.