5 Horses Killed In Lakewood Fire That Damaged 3 Buildings
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Three buildings were damaged in a fire early Monday morning in Lakewood, and five horses were killed.
The fire broke out at approximately 3 a.m. at 3rd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard and it damaged a barn, an insulation company, and to a lesser degree a family's home.
The people in the home were able to escape safely.
As many as 50 firefighters were involved in the firefight, and flames were as high as 60 feet at one point.
West Metro Fire spokesman Mike Murphy said they made a strong effort to make sure no firefighters were hurt in the effort to put out the fire.
"Our personnel are trained to set up a command structure so we can maintain accountability of our personnel. So people don't wander off, people don't get unassigned or get 'lost' on the scene, so it's very important that we maintain that command structure," Murphy said.
Teri Kramer was asleep in the house just in front of the barn holding the horses.
"Somebody was knocking on my door and screaming, 'Fire!' " Kramer said. "I'd really like to thank him ... because I do think he saved us."
She said the animals' owners were able to get some of the horses out safely.
A manager of the insulation company told CBS4 his business sustained major damage, which included the destruction of two pickup trucks and lots of equipment.
"A good bit of the fire was in the commercial area," Murphy said. "It seemed to damage the commercial areas as opposed to the residential area … we're very lucky that we don't have some fatalities."
An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
