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Firefighters in Mesa County, Colorado, are urging residents to be cautious with their smoking habits after two fires were ignited by discarded cigarettes within three days.
The first incident occurred at Connected Lakes State Park, just outside Grand Junction, where a woman admitted to sparking a fire by extinguishing her cigarette on the ground, Western Slope Now reports. The fire quickly grew out of control, leading to the evacuation of the park. Charges against the woman are pending, with the cost of the damage still under investigation.
The second fire, which occurred in Grand Junction, resulted in a family of four and their eight pets losing their home. A man at the scene confessed that a cigarette he had discarded started the fire. Despite his attempts to extinguish the flames and evacuate the home's occupants, the fire consumed the house, a car and a boat. Potential charges are pending in this case as well.
"It is critical to mitigate factors that result in human-caused fires. Please make sure to dispose of cigarette butts and smoking materials safely. Do not throw them on the ground or outside of your car,” the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office advised, per KKTV.
The office also warned that the county's vegetation is very dry and can spread wildfires quickly, even without wind or other contributing factors.