Firefighters battled a number of fires — some sparked by fireworks or barbecues — along the Front Range during the first two days of the holiday weekend.
Investigators in Centennial say fireworks caused a house fire Saturday afternoon in the 5800 block of South Quintero Court.
Cunningham Fire Rescue reported that a firework made its way into a tree and caused it to catch fire. The fire spread to the exterior of a home but was contained before it could damage the interior. No injuries have been reported.
Denver firefighters responded to a house fire at 3516 W. Alaska Place on Friday afternoon. Charcoal from a barbecue reportedly was dumped and ignited a trash can placed against the house. The flames reached the attic but were extinguished within 15 minutes.
Extensive damage to the house from the fire has displaced one adult and two children, according to the Denver chapter of the American Red Cross.
Denver firefighters extinguished 21 grass fires Friday, said Alex Paez, a public information officer for the Fire Department.
Five grass fires were reported in Denver on Saturday morning. At least one was caused by a barbecue, he said.
Professional fireworks shows in Lone Tree and at Rhyolite Regional Park in Castle Rock were halted shortly after small fires started Friday night, 9News reported. The Lone Tree fire was extinguished within minutes. The Castle Rock fires burned about 3 acres, a city spokesman said.
9News reported that an open space near Broadway and Highlands Ranch Parkway in Doug las County caught fire after two adults in their 20s set off a bottle rocket Friday afternoon.
Flames burned through a fence and to a home. An outside wall was burned and an air conditioning unit melted.
People need to be mindful that fires can spread more easily in hot and dry weather, fire officials warned.
“Our conditions were worse this year than last year at this time,” said Steve Segin, a public information officer for the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. “We are in our driest period right now.”
This week, the northwest parts of the state are the driest areas, Segin said.
“But fire conditions and dangers can change daily,” he added.
Several other fires were reported Friday.
A 20-acre bush fire in Doug las County near Griggs Road and South Daniels Park Road was contained by fire departments, 9News reported. The cause of that fire is unknown.
Steve Graff: 303-954-1661 or sgraff@denverpost.com
