Colorado’s most destructive wildfire caused by embers from old fire, sparks from power line

By JESSE BEDAYN, COLLEEN SLEVIN and MEAD GRUVER
Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Authorities say embers from a smoldering scrap wood fire outside a home and a sparking power line separately caused a Colorado wildfire fanned by high winds that destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and left two people dead. The Dec. 30, 2021, blaze in heavily populated suburbs between Denver and Boulder caused $2 billion in damage, making it the most destructive in Colorado history. The inferno erupted following months of drought. It spread rapidly in winds that gusted up to 100 mph (160 kph) in places. Xcel Energy strongly objected to the findings of the investigation, contending in a statement that the company didn’t have an opportunity to review the findings, which it called “flawed.”