LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A hot and dry day can quickly turn into a devastating one. Firefighters have to be at the ready when disaster sparks.
"The drier the fuels, the higher the winds, lower humidities contribute to fire’s spread," West Metro Fire captain Tyler Sugaski said.
Sugaski said summer months tend to have an uptick in human-caused wildfires.
"That’s due to more people being outside, fireworks, people going on vacation and not being aware of local regulations on fire restrictions or bans on certain types of things," Sugaski said.
He said human-caused fires can pull away important resources from structure fires or other response needs.
"You have drier fuels because we’ve been getting less moisture, and it’s been hot. That already strains the system, leading to that potential for something to grow quickly," Sugaski said.
Saturday, a wildfire started at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Early investigations point to the start potentially being a single cigarette.
"Might have been thrown out of a window," visitor services manager Sarah Metzer said.
Metzer said the fire was quickly put out. It burned at least eight to 10 acres, but it's possible up to 15 acres burned.
"Folks just need to have caution when they're doing anything, whether it's driving across tall grasses, could spark a fire. Anything that might have the potential to ignite something," Metzer said.
Sugaski reiterated Metzer's cautions to pay attention to surroundings.
"If it looks dry, it is dry, which means it can probably spread fire," Sugaski said.
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