Rodents chewing on electrical wires spark brush fire, Colorado officials say
Rodents chewing on wires in an electric box ignited a brush fire in Colorado, fire officials said.
Fire crews responded to a call about the fire in Waterton Canyon early in the morning on Wednesday, Sept. 21, West Metro Fire Rescue said on Facebook.
The rodents “shorted out the system, causing arcing and sparking, igniting the dry grass,” according to the Facebook post.
The fire, which did not threaten any buildings, scorched a half-acre slope “near the Strontia Springs Dam,” fire officials said.
Firefighters dug a “fireline around the perimeter” while also building “a hose line to get water slope,” officials said.
The overnight humidity aided crews to slow the fire, the Facebook post said.
“Crews are now working on hot spots within the fire area,” the post said.
Waterton Canyon is about 45 miles south of Boulder.
