Cold Knocks Out Heat To 80 Units At Denver Apartment Complex

DENVER (CBS4) - Residents of a Denver apartment building spent much of Tuesday without heat in temperatures that set records for cold.

Tenants in more than 80 units at the Lex at Lowry apartment in east Denver bundled up and huddled around space heaters while waiting for repairs. Heat was restored shortly before 10 p.m.

The building, located at 260 S. Monaco Parkway, suffered a similar outage there last year.

"We turned up the heat thinking perhaps if we turn up the thermostat it would get warmer, and it didn't," Dean Wrotbart said. "You turn on the heat and it blows. My wife came in and said, 'I think we're getting air conditioning.' "

A boiler malfunction early Tuesday caused the problem.

"It's kind of scary, honestly, when you know it's going to be below zero," Nick Carrier said.

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The building's management issued space heaters to some residents.

"My wife has been baking," Wrotbart said, "but I think she's been doing a little extra baking to keep it a bit warmer."

Tuesday set a record for the lowest high temperature -- 16 degrees -- for Nov. 11. Wednesday will be even colder. Highs aren't expected to creep past 10 degrees.

Some residents at the Lex were worried about neighbors who may need extra layers.

"We actually do need to go knock on the doors of the elderly residents and see if they're OK, see if we need to bring them blankets," Wrotbart said.