A group of electrocuted birds sparked a wildfire in Colorado that burned nearly 16 acres of land and prompted evacuations.
The fire broke out near the Denver Water Treatment Plant in Roxborough on Tuesday afternoon.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued voluntary evacuation orders for the area as more than 40 firefighters battled the blaze.
Video shows plumes of smoke rising from the ground as flames scorched vegetation and crews worked to contain the blaze.
“The fire was caused by a group of birds that were electrocuted by electrical equipment, caught fire and then fell to the ground, igniting dry grass below,” West Metro Fire said.
A group of electrocuted birds sparked a wildfire near Denver’s water treatment plant in Roxborough on Tuesday.
The fire burned nearly 16 acres of land and prompted voluntary evacuations.
A Douglas County helicopter crew helped extinguish the blaze while firefighters mopped up the flames with hoses.
The fire department said the fire was contained after burning 16 acres of land.
After the fire was contained and the evacuation was lifted, officials said residents might still see smoke because small areas of vegetation may be burning.
Despite being a common cause, this is the third time this year that a bird colliding with electrical equipment has caused a fire in Colorado, according to 9News.
“It’s not a common cause of wildfires because actually 90% of wildfires are man-made,” Ronda Scholting, public information officer for West Metro Fire, told the local news station.
“So it’s nature that causes the fire. It’s not as frequent as you might think. Obviously, there are a lot of birds, you see a lot of birds on power lines, but in this case it happened that a bird started the fire.”
A Douglas County helicopter crew helped extinguish the fire.
After the fire was contained and the evacuation was lifted, officials warned that residents might still see smoke because small areas of vegetation could be burning.
On July 21, a fire burned three acres near The Fort restaurant in Jefferson County, according to West Metro Fire.
“This fire was caused by a bird that was electrocuted by overhead power lines, caught fire and fell to the ground, where it ignited the grass and brush below,” the department said.
On July 13, a bird that caught fire after coming into contact with electrical equipment sparked a fire that burned more than 1,100 acres in Byers.
The fire destroyed one home and at least seven outbuildings, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators believe a small bird came into contact with energized electrical equipment, caught fire, and then fell to the ground and ignited vegetation.