A large fire at a Denver apartment construction site started Friday evening and continued into the weekend, injuring one firefighter.
DENVER — A massive fire broke out at a three-story apartment complex under construction in Denver on Friday evening. The fire started at around 6:45 p.m. near S. Leetsdale Drive and S. Forest Street. Fire crews worked through the weekend to control the blaze, which injured one firefighter. No other injuries were reported. S. Leetsdale Drive remains closed between S. Forest and S. Holly streets.
Evacuations were ordered for residents behind the construction site due to the heat from the fire. Twelve families stayed at an emergency shelter overnight from Friday into Saturday, but the shelter closed around noon on Saturday.
“We just all were rushing into the car, and my dad was grabbing drinks because we didn’t know if we were going to have to stay out of our house all day,” said an evacuee.
The fire raised significant air quality concerns, and residents were advised to stay indoors. “I would try to find a way to avoid breathing in this smoke. It is not good for you,” said Robert Murphy, operations division chief for the Denver Fire Department.
The fire spread eastward through the unfinished structure overnight. More than 150 firefighters worked to control it. Fire officials reported that the flames engulfed an entire city block, causing significant damage to the structure and construction equipment. Nearby homes and businesses may have sustained heat or smoke damage, and power outages were reported in the area.
A full damage assessment has not been completed. Firefighters noted that multiple sections of the building have collapsed, making it impossible to search for potential victims or determine the cause of the fire. The structure is unstable and may collapse further.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was on the scene Saturday to assist with the investigation. An explosive detection canine was also brought in to search for evidence.
“There was a little bit of wind when this fire first came in,” said Murphy. “A fire of this size actually generates its own mini wind and starts pushing those embers out.”
He explained that the complex did not have drywall to slow the fire’s progress and was not outfitted with a sprinkler system. “This has really reached the level of about a five-alarm fire, which is huge for Denver,” he added.
On Saturday morning, AirTracker7 captured video of at least 35 firefighters still battling flames in parts of the unfinished structure. Firefighters continued to work throughout the day and night to extinguish the fire.
Nearby residents expressed concern about the size of the blaze. One resident, Lauren McClelland, initially thought the entire area was on fire. “I was scared,” she said. Another neighbor, Ila Bordelon-Walker, mistook the noise for fireworks.
Mark Lampert, owner of Ann Lampert Realty just north of the fire, described tense moments as the flames approached his business. “It was just moving right up the hill,” he said, but his building was spared.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston praised the firefighters in a statement: “Last night, our city witnessed true courage. Our firefighters ran toward danger when a huge fire broke out at a construction site in the Hilltop/Glendale area.” He thanked the Denver Fire Department and neighboring districts for their quick response and bravery.
| Date | Location | Injuries | Evacuations | Firefighters Involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday evening | Harker Heights building site, Denver | 1 firefighter | 12 families | More than 150 |
