Recent Colorado Wildfire + the Bizarre Way it Was Started

Colorado is no stranger to wildfires, unfortunately. More often than not, the causes of these fires are established by emergency crews and often fall into categories including arson, lightning, and tragically, mere carelessness.

Read More: WATCH: Electric Vehicle Catches Fire in a Colorado Garage |

However, a recent fire that has devastated a significant chunk of Colorado including numerous homes has been determined to have a much different and, quite frankly, bizarre origin.

Recent Wildfire Near Byers Colorado Devastates Over 1000 Acres

Just after 10 a.m. on July 13, 2024, authorities received reports of a wildfire near the small town of Byers, Colorado.

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The fire would grow to burn an estimated 1,155 acres destroying at least one private residence and seven additional surrounding buildings.

The Quail Hollow Fire, as it's since been named, not only resulted in the aforementioned damaged buildings but saw an area with a three-mile radius evacuated in the process.

While this particular fire doesn't compare to the most devastating in the state's history including Storm King, the Waldo Canyon Fire, or even the Marshall Fire, the origin of the Quail Hollow Fire is far different from the rest.

What Caused the Quail Hollow Fire Near Byers Colorado?

According to officials, the origin of the fire has been attributed to a small bird that accidentally flew into electrical equipment and while freshly scorched, fell into some dead vegetation which was then set ablaze.

A press release from the Byers Fire Protection District and Strasburg Fire Protection District reads the following:

The preliminary cause of the fire has been determined to be a small bird that came into contact with energized electrical equipment. While the electrical equipment itself did not fail, the energy was sufficient to ignite the dry feathers of the bird, resulting in the flaming carcass falling into the vegetation below.

[Denver7 via YouTube]