No quick answers on Fort Collins apartment fire
Caution tape warns of asbestos contamination at a Fort Collins apartment complex following a fire in this 2015 file photo.(Photo: Jason Pohl/The Coloradoan)
Investigators this week continue to piece together what caused an early morning apartment fire that destroyed six units at a Fort Collins complex, all while displaced residents who lost everything work to piece their lives back together.
The May 20 fire at Brookview Apartments near Edora Park has been deemed accidental, PFA Capt. Patrick Love said Tuesday. However, the cause and exact origin have not yet been released, and insurance investigators have also gotten involved. A more detailed timeline about when those answers may come was not immediately available.
Alex Dye, 19, was asleep when he heard smoke alarms blaring. He woke up thinking someone was cooking or the batteries were low.
"I peeked my head around the corner and saw my whole northern wall was on fire," he told the Coloradoan Tuesday. "It was so hot. I had to get out. I had no time to grab anything."
The fire that started in his unit quickly tore through the entire building. Dye, along with his roommates and residents in neighboring units lost almost everything they owned. An online fundraiser page has been established, on which Dye asks for donations to help him buy new clothes, get a new drivers license and get new shoes. More than $1,000 has poured in to his page alone.
"I just can't say 'thank you' enough, honestly. Every little bit helps. It's all been quite humbling and quite amazing at how the community has come together."
Temporary fencing now surrounds part of the 12-unit building. Caution tape has been strung around the affected units, warning of asbestos exposure — somewhat common after fires or other disruptive events that destroy older building materials.
The fire displaced 24 people — 13 of them for an extended period of time — and caused some minor injuries, PFA reported. Twelve units were evacuated when crews arrived about 5:15 a.m. Wednesday, and a second and third alarm were raised to bring additional crews to the scene. Thirty-nine personnel responded to the blaze.
The blaze wasn't the first time crews responded to the apartment complex. An explosion stemming from hash oil production rocked a building in October 2013.Before that, a fire broke out in July 2012. Fires also displaced residents at Brookview Apartments in September and December 2009, according to Coloradoan archives.
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Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.
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