Small Boulder Fire Likely Caused By Model Rocket

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - Boulder County fire officials say a small grass fire believed to have started accidently when a man launched a model rocket is a reminder of how easy it is for blazes to start because of a dry winter.

The Boulder Daily Camera reports that the fire Saturday evening burned about 2.5 acres and it was extinguished in about an hour. The Boulder County Sheriff's office says they issued a ticket to Brett Heinrichs on suspicion of violating the county's burn ban. The sheriff's office says Heinrichs tried to put the fire out and suffered some minor burns on his face but refused medical attention.

No one else was injured and no structures were threatened.

"I think a lot of people who come here to hike and bike and run and jog, I don't think they realize the significance of a flicked cigarette or a broken bottle that gets the reflection of the sun. Or in this case, a simple thing like playing rockets or model rockets with your kids," neighbor Heather Johnson Greenhalge said.

Boulder Rural Fire Capt. Chris O'Brien says that playing with model rocket is "probably not the best hobby right now."

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)