The Arvada Fire Protection District was quick to respond to a brush fire within 100 feet of homes off Highway 72 near Leyden on Aug. 10, containing the blaze and avoiding a potential catastrophe within an hour of the fire being reported.

The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Once crews arrived on the scene, they confirmed that the fire was burning in multiple locations, creating five different spot fires in total.

Due to the unpredictable nature of brush fires, different fire departments — including Fairmount, Mountain View, Coal Creek and West Metro — provided mutual aid and brush trucks to put out the blaze, according to AFPD Digital Marketing and Communications Specialist Brady Johnson.

Arvada Police responded to the fire as well, conducting door-to-door evacuations for the nearby Leyden Rock houses. The evacuations were lifted within an hour.

Investigators were on the scene throughout Aug. 10 to determine cause. The investigation is still pending.

Johnson said that the fire provided an important lesson about the importance of fire mitigation.

“Since the fire was within 100 feet of homes, it’s just a good example of the need for fire mitigation for people who live in the WUI — Wildland Urban Interface,” Johnson said. “Homes that live next to open space and grasses — essentially fuels that could burn during wildfires — the threat of wildfires is always real; homeowners have to take steps to mitigate fire risks around their properties.”