Officials have determined the cause of the Table Mountain Fire, which burned 52 acres near Longmont on Wednesday, forcing evacuations amid dangerous weather conditions.
According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, the short-lived Colorado blaze was sparked when researchers associated with the UC Boulder Aerospace Engineering Department crashed an unmanned aircraft into the ground at a high rate of speed. Upon collision, the aircraft's lithium ion battery ignited. The crew attempted to stop the fire with an on-site fire extinguisher, but were unsuccessful given the strong winds.
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