Cause Of Fire At Building In Glendale Under Investigation
GLENDALE, Colo. (CBS4) - A fire in Glendale that broke out over the weekend was so large that the glow from it could be seen 30 miles away.
The fire started at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday in a five-story building on South Cherry Street and East Kentucky Avenue that was under construction, and there was quick response from firefighters.
Mohmmed Alfarra lives close to the building and said he could feel the heat from the fire before he saw the flames.
"It was really hot," he said. "Extremely hot."
Alfarra and other residents of his apartment building spilled out on the street when they heard the sound of sirens. Video he shot on his cellphone showed flames shooting up at least 30 feet in the air.
"People were screaming and everybody was shouting 'Get out, Get out,' " he said. "Also, there was the sound of explosions. Not huge explosions, just the fire (burning) the wood and all that, and that was a little bit scary."
Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade said the rare three alarm fire called for a large response from fire crews.
"Essentially there was about 23 emergency response vehicles out here, plus the command staff," he said. "We had a good portion of the city here."
Despite the size of the fire, emergency crews were able to prevent the fire from causing any significant damage to buildings next door. The heat from the flames did shatter some windows on cars and buildings nearby, though.
Firefighters knocked down the blaze in a few hours.
"I'm just glad that nobody got hurt," Alfarra said. "I'm thankful the fire department and police for being able to keep everybody safe."
The building has now been reduced to a pile of charred rubble.
People in communities as far away as Evergreen and Castle Rock reported they could see the fire while it was burning.
An investigation into the cause of the fire was set to take place Monday morning.
