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Concerns Heightened After 2 Small Overnight Wildfires

By Jamie Leary

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - The second of two early morning brush fires on Green Mountain is out, contained to just one acre by the time crews wrapped up at approximately 10 a.m. Monday.

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(credit: West Metro Fire)

High winds and dry conditions fueled the flames. The first fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. on Green Mountain near the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

West Metro Fire Rescue was able to contain that fire to just 2 acres, but several hours later, a second brush fire broke out on Green Mountain. While no structures were threatened in either, officials say it's a good reminder that fire season is no longer just a summer issue.

"It's warm in February, it's warm in December and coupled with wind and how dry it has been, when we don't have any precipitation for even just a couple of days ... when the fuel is dry any little spark can start a fire," said Ronda Scholting, West Metro Fire spokeswoman.

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(credit: CBS)

Dry weather, coupled with record-breaking warmth, prompted Jefferson County to enact Stage 1 fire restrictions last week but the fire danger remains high across the Front Range. The unseasonable weather also sparked two grass fires on Sunday.

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(credit: West Metro Fire)

"It doesn't take much when it's this dry outside to spark a large fire, and especially if it's wind driven," Scholting said.

It has been more than a month since there has been measurable precipitation in the Denver metro area, and Scholting talked about everything from a cigarette butt to dragging chains causing a spark.

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(credit: West Metro Fire)

"It's extremely dry, and coupled with the wind -- we saw gusts up to 25 mph this morning," said Scholting.

CBS4 asked Don Lombardi, West Metro's fire chief, if he had any reason to believe the fire was human caused, and while he said it's too early to tell, he did note that there were no weather related events overnight that could have contributed.

Back in November, West Metro Fire responded to a number of suspicious fires. One blew up to 96 acres and forced the evacuation of nearby homes.

Since that fire, West Metro has established a tip line specifically for the Green Mountain area. If you see any suspicious activity, you can call 303-987-7111.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

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