3-Alarm Fire Destroys Apartment Building
DENVER (CBS4)- Five people had to be taken to the hospital in an apartment fire that sent up large plumes of black smoke in east Denver on Monday afternoon.
The fire was burning at the complex known as The Reserve at Hunters Run in Building J located at 7777 E. Yale Avenue.
The first calls came in just after 4 p.m. and the main body of the fire was extinguished about 5:40 p.m.
Crews continued to mop up hotspots.
About 75 firefighters from Denver, Cunningham, Aurora and South Metro Fire Rescue were fighting the fire.
Denver Fire tweeted out an update soon after the call came in.
The crews saw heavy smoke on all three floors and were inside conducting search and rescue but then cleared the building after firefighters noticed signs of structure collapse. No one was found inside the burning building.
The people who were hurt were described as having smoke inhalation and their injuries were minor.
The fire closed Yale Avenue between Quebec and South Syracuse Way. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office tweeted out an update on Monday afternoon.
What caused the fire has not been determined. Fire crews will work to determine where the fire started.
People who live in the complex were concerned about the fire spreading.
"I was afraid and sad because I saw people crying and I sort of thought, 'There might be somebody in that building' and it was on both sides of the building so I was sort of paralyzed. I didn't know what to do," said resident Micah LaRue.
