As many as 42 fire units from across the metro area were called to tackle a massive five-alarm fire Saturday engulfing a northwest Aurora apartment complex under construction at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF AURORA FIRE RESCUE. 
As many as 42 fire units from across the metro area were called to tackle a massive five-alarm fire Saturday engulfing a northwest Aurora apartment complex under construction at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF AURORA FIRE RESCUE. 
As many as 42 fire units from across the metro area were called to tackle a massive five-alarm fire Saturday engulfing a northwest Aurora apartment complex under construction at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF AURORA FIRE RESCUE. 
As many as 42 fire units from across the metro area were called to tackle a massive five-alarm fire Saturday engulfing a northwest Aurora apartment complex under construction at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF AURORA FIRE RESCUE.
AURORA | As many as 42 fire units from across the metro area were called to tackle a massive five-alarm fire Saturday engulfing a northwest Aurora apartment complex under construction.
“The building is unoccupied and no one was inside the building at the time of the fire,” Aurora Fire Rescue spokesperson Dawn Small said in a statement. “One AFR firefighter suffered minor injuries but was not transported to a hospital and is recovering.”
The blaze was so large that a dark smoke plume was reportedly seen from as far away as Broomfield.
Aurora firefighters first called to the blaze at about 12:45 p.m. at an apartment construction project at East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street.
The blaze grew so large, so fast that Aurora fire officials called for assistance from five other jurisdictions, one as far away as Bennett-Watkins.
Reports that the fire appeared to be concentrated on the fifth floor of the five-story apartment building prompted crews to began with an “offensive strategy” to extinguish the blaze.
“However, they had to withdraw due to the fire’s intensity to keep first-responding firefighters safe,” Small said, adding that the large number of firefighters and units became a challenge in itself.
“A total of 42 resources assisted in the operation,” Small said. “Whenever multiple apparatus are involved on a scene, water access is a challenge.”
Fire officials said at about 5 p.m. the blaze was extinguished.
“However AFR will continue operations into the evening to put out hot spots using aerial ladders,” Small said.
An investigation in to the cause of the blaze is underway.
A three-alarm fire Thursday damaged an apartment complex under construction in southeast Aurora.
Hope thathe arsonist is found and prosecuted.
Time for the builders to waste money having security at these vulnerable construction sites.
Two large fires in the city in a week. One started in the middle of the night, the other a quiet Saturday afternoon. What do have some spontaneous combustion going on in Aurora.
“We do have some …”
Surprised thathe construction company did not hire security after the previoususpicous 3-alarm fire.
Hopefully every construction company is hiring security for vulnerable buildings.
Security also couldiscover an accidental fire before it grows too big.
(Time again to check our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.)
The fall out from this should be interesting. About a zillion gallons of water over three days of a continuous soaking the structure. What does a zillion gallons of water calculate to for their monthly water bill? Or does Aurora water dept say oh well, somebody else will pay.
Then the massive wooden structure left standing is so water damaged it all has to come out. And the soaked sheet rock below that was in place. The insurance company adjusters will want to minimize their loss. What PE engineer/ city building inspector will be willing to sign off on some half-baked rebuild if it is not fully right from the start?