Brothers say they lost everything but their dog after alleged act of arson set their home on fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - Two brothers said they lost everything but their dog when their home was destroyed in a fire believed to have been intentionally set.

Trevor and Erik Nau are among several victims in a string of arsons in Old Colorado City.

“We went to get a slice of pizza ... and before we could even put in the order, my neighbor called and said my Jeep had exploded in my driveway and my house is on fire,” Erik Nau said. “He was calling to make sure we weren’t in the house.”

They weren’t inside, but their dog Max was.

“That was the main concern, was getting our dog out,” Erik Nau said.

Firefighters were able to rescue Max, but he suffered smoke inhalation and required oxygen.

The brothers said Max was in “doggy ICU” for a couple of days. He remains in the care of a veterinarian.

“His oxygen levels are not normal and every time they take him off O2 it kind of drops down,” Trevor Nau said.

The brothers said thankfully, Max seems to be getting his “spark” and “personality” back.

Relatives said the veterinary bills for Max are steep. They have started a GoFundMe for the brothers to help cover those bills.

The fire department said witnesses told them the fire started as a vehicle fire before spreading into the home.

“At first, we felt, you know, ‘Were we being targeted?’ But then we heard about some other events going on down the road, so it’s random. There’s no rhyme or reason,” Trevor Naus said.

Bernie Hidalgo was arrested for the fire at the Nau home, as well as others in the area.

Hidalgo allegedly told police he lit a receipt on fire inside of the Jeep in their garage, which grew into a fire that rendered the home a total loss.

After the Nau home, arrest papers said Hidalgo made his way to another home in the area, setting two other cars on fire. Police said in an in-custody interview, Hidalgo told officials he started the fire that destroyed those two vehicles because he was “angry.”

Arrest papers also said Hidalgo had taken a rifle case with the firearm in it from the Nau home, and the owner of the second home told officials he believed he heard a gunshot before he looked out the window and saw the vehicle on fire. Police said they found the rifle hidden under an RV at some point during their investigation.

Hidalgo was taken into custody about two and a half hours after the first fire.

Even with Hidalgo in custody, the brothers are still sifting through the ruins from that night.

“Assessment [of the damage] has actually been much shorter than I suppose it could’ve been, just because there’s not much left to evaluate,” Erik Nau said.

Erik Nau said they lost everything.

“There’s a few things that defy logic in how they survived, but it’s, we lost everything. We got the dog, and that at the end of the day is what we’re concerned about, but now that the dog is safe, and we’re looking this over, it’s devastating,” he said.

Trevor Nau said a lot of the items they lost are irreplaceable.

“It’s very unfortunate. A lot of our family photos from our childhood, and they’re not digital, with our father who passed away. That hurts a lot,” he said.

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