The flaming carcass of an electrocuted bird was determined to be the cause of a July brush fire in Arapahoe County that burned more than 1,100 acres and destroyed property southeast of Byers, according to a report released Friday by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.

The Quail Hollow Fire report, issued by the Byers Fire Protection District and the Strasburg Fire Protection District, said on the morning of July 13, a small bird came into contact with an energized electrical pole on the south side of 2490 S. Quail Hollow Drive.

The bird’s flaming body then fell into vegetation at the base of the power pole which provided the initial fuel for the fire, the report said.

Dry vegetation, heavy fuel load in the area, winds and the local topography allowed the fire to spread, the report said.

The fire was ruled accidental.

One residential home and at least twelve outbuildings were destroyed in the blaze, the report said.

Byers and Strasburg Fire responded to the fire around 10:09 a.m. and reported a “slow-moving fire in medium fuels moving to the south.”

Minutes later, the fire was upgraded to “large brush fire” when flames reached heavy timbers, the report said. The I-70 corridor large brush fire response was activated and mutual aid resources were requested as the fire grew and moved.

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Originally Published: August 9, 2024 at 5:40 p.m.