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ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) – With winds reaching over 50 miles per hour in some areas, firefighters are poised to respond to fires in the mountains and in the city.

Conservation specialist Portia Brackney told FOX31 that it only takes one blowing ember to create a path to destruction.

“Due to population, transportation, electrical currents that spark can actually trigger a fire in dry brush,” Brackney said.

The Arvada Fire Department responded to and contained two fires in populated areas on Sunday, one of which was on the train tracks near Oberon Road and West 69th Avenue.

Other fires across the front range have grown to a devastating size.

Denver Fire Department spokesperson Captain Greg Pixley told the Problem Solvers that the combination of severe heat, dry conditions and thunderstorms, which bring lightning and high winds, increase the risk.

“We’ve seen significant changes in terms of what the weather can do, not only in our mountainous areas but downtown in our urban environments,” Pixley said.

He warns that even a small ember or spark can be a powerful accelerant during fire season.

“We’ve seen examples of where people have been using maintenance tools, chainsaws these kinds of powered equipment that can cause sparks,” Pixley explained.

Firefighters said you should properly maintain your lawn to keep it from drying out, get rid of dead vegetation, Xeriscape where possible, keep bushes away from exterior walls and keep an emergency water supply.

Consult with your local fire department for additional helpful information.