Family Escapes House Fire In Evergreen

EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) – A family in Evergreen escaped a fire that destroyed their home on Friday.

The fire happened off a road so remote that it took fire trucks nearly 45 minutes to get there.

By the time crews arrived on the scene, the fire had grown too large and it was too late to save the house.

The homeowners spotted the fire burning through their chimney.

By the time they saw it the attic was already on fire.

Fire trucks had to cycle water to the scene because there are no fire hydrants in the area. They stored water in large buckets.

The difficult fight took nearly half of Evergreen's first responders. Their chief said they had to give up on saving the home almost instantly.

"We try and save as much as we can. Once we can get in, we start pulling furniture out. We pulled a bunch out into the garage, but a lot was lost inside," said Evergreen Fire Rescue Chief Mike Weege.

There is no official cause of the fire yet.

Officials suspect it started because the chimney hadn't been properly cleaned.

If that is the case, it will end up being the fifth destructive chimney fire this season in the area.