Colorado brush fire caused by electrocuted birds falling to the ground

Fire near Denver sparked by electrocuted birds

More than 40 firefighters were called to extinguish a fire near Denver that started when a group of birds were electrocuted by power equipment.

A brush fire near a Denver water treatment plant started when a group of electrocuted birds fell to the ground, firefighters said.

According to West Metro Fire, more than 40 firefighters responded to the blaze on Tuesday. The fire prompted voluntary evacuation orders for the area around the fire, officials said.

"The fire was caused by a group of birds that were electrocuted by power equipment, caught fire and then fell to the ground, igniting the dry grass below," West Metro Fire said.

A voluntary evacuation order was issued for the Rampart Range Road and Roxborough Park Road areas due to the fire, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Also this week, a California man was charged with igniting a destructive California wildfire in early July by throwing a firework from a car window during hot, dry and windy weather.

Spencer Grant Anderson, of Oroville, was charged Monday after weeks of continuous surveillance by investigators. The Thompson fire scorched nearly 6 square miles, destroyed 13 homes and damaged others in the Oroville area of the northern Sacramento Valley.