Loveland resident Jason Douglas Hobby could not believe it when he learned that a man with his same first and last name — Jason Alexander Hobby — was charged with starting the Alexander Mountain Fire.

And then people, mixing up the two Loveland men with the same name and age, began posting on social media the addresses of his home in Loveland and his weekend home on Storm Mountain, as well as his phone number. The posts, he said, were caustic and “revenge-style.”

“When you are posting someone’s work, home, all your addresses the implication is vigilante justice,” said Jason Douglas Hobby.

“I thought, I can’t believe this is happening, this can’t be real … Utter shock. I was mortified, absolutely mortified.”

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Jason Alexander Hobby on Wednesday, and within hours, some were incorrectly tying that to Jason Douglas Hobby, posting his personal information online.

He immediately began his own counter-information effort on social media, posting his picture to show how different he looks, explaining that he has a different middle name and has nothing whatsoever to do with the Alexander Mountain Fire — except that his rural property was in the fire area and that his name is listed as a victim on the indictment against the other Jason Hobby.

His post said: “He is in jail, I am at work! We are not related at all.” And he is quick to point out that he has long hair and a long beard, while the arrested man has short hair and a short beard.

Jason Douglas Hobby feared for his family’s safety and for the safety of the three developmentally disabled residents he and his wife care for in their home.

But he was also heartened by the people online who immediately came to his defense, to those who reached out in support and to law enforcement who took the posts seriously.

Jason Douglas Hobby said officials with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office immediately helped to get posts removed and posted information about doxxing being a crime. Doxxing is posting personal or identifying information online with malicious intent.

The Sheriff’s Office also is sending extra patrols around his Storm Mountain property, and the Loveland Police Department has set up extra patrols around his Loveland home, he said.

“I’m a good person,” said Jason Douglas Hobby. “I’m good to everybody.”

He knew there was another Jason Hobby in Loveland, as well as two others who live in Fort Collins who are much younger, but he didn’t expect this to happen.

And though he feels less frightened on Thursday, the day after it happened, because the posts were taken down, because people jumped to his defense and because law enforcement took action, he hopes people will be more careful with what they post online.

“People need to be smart about social media,” Jason Douglas Hobby said.

“People have been hurt before. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that misinformation can lead to harm.”