A vegetation fire that sparked in the Thornton area of the Denver metro on February 25 was thankfully stamped out that same day despite Red Flag conditions, but not before injuring five people.

During a press conference about the blaze, Thornton Fire Chief Stephen Kelley got into the details about what happened.

The fire sparked at about 11:30 a.m. on 84th Avenue and Huron Street in Thornton amid significant winds and general dryness. Under these conditions, the fire experienced rapid growth to the east as it burned along a green belt area between a neighborhood and a commercial zone. The fire was ultimately contained at about 10 acres, and while that size might seem small compared to some of Colorado’s remote wildland blazes, it was described as “significant,” rightfully prompting a large-scale response involving resources related to Thornton, Westminster, Adams County, North Denver Metro, North Glenn, Federal Heights, South Adams, and other locales.

As part of the response, law enforcement went door-to-door to evacuate residents. Multiple roads were closed in the area due to fire safety and billowing smoke, including I-25 where visibility was extremely limited. Meanwhile, a nearby high school was also fully evacuated out of precaution. Following the fire and an effort to cool down hotspots, crews stayed at the scene overnight to ensure it did not reignite.

Fire chief Kelley highlighted that no residential structures were lost as a result of the fire, despite its close proximity to a residential area. The quick and effective firefighting response played a key role in this win. Some businesses along the southern side of the fire were damaged, though at last report, it’s not believed that any damage was structural.

Fire chief Kelley also addressed five injuries that were related to the fire, involving four fire personal and one citizen. Specific details about those injuries were not provided, though they were described as non-critical.

“This was a dynamic, rapidly spreading event that challenged many of the departments in the north area,” said Kelley.

It was announced that the fire had been fully contained at about 2:07 p.m. on February 25. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at last report.

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