Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue (SSFR) was dispatched to 1345 Eagle Glen Drive for a main floor and landing smoke alarm at 6:53am. SSFR responded with the on-duty engine and its crew of four.
After making entrance into the middle residence of the triplex, the crew found light smoke in the residence and subsequent smoke and sprinkler alarms started going off in one of the adjacent units. Captain Wilkinson contacted the Routt County Communications Center (RCCC) and asked for the call to be sent out as an active structure fire.
Responding immediately were the two on duty ambulances and Deputy Chief Cerasoli. Due to the time of the call being one hour prior to shift change, the eight on coming personnel in addition to an additional eight off-duty personnel were able to respond to the structure fire staffing a second fire engine, two ladder trucks, two staff vehicles, and a brush truck hauling an air bottle refilling trailer.
Initial smoke and fire appeared to be in the area of the mechanical room between two units of the triplex. After crews put out all visible flames in the mechanical rooms, smoke started venting from multiple different walls and vents in two of the three units. As the call became increasingly complex and all 24 SSFR Firefighters were being utilized, Captain Wilkinson requested mutual aid assistance from West Routt Fire Protection District for an ambulance and Oak Creek Fire Protection District for an engine to cover Steamboat Springs for subsequent calls. Yampa Valley Electric Association, Atmos Energy, and Mt. Werner Water provided assistance in shutting off utilities to the triplex.
Fire was found in the crawl spaces of both units, multiple walls, under floors and the mechanical rooms of both units. After five hours of opening up walls, and applying water in crawl and void spaces, SSFR was able to extinguish the fire. Evidence of fire was found in multiple walls and spaces that contained electrical and gas lines with little evidence of fire in the main living spaces. Two of the three units of the triplex had extensive internal damage to the walls and floors with the third unit only having minor smoke damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Steamboat Springs Fire Marshal. No residents were home at the time of the fire and no fire fighters were injured as a result of the structure fire.
SSFR would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance Steamboat Springs Police Department, Oak Creek Fire Protection District, West Routt Fire Protection District, Mt. Werner Water, Yampa Valley Electric Association, and Atmos Energy.
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Contact
Chuck Cerasoli, Deputy Fire Chief, 970.879.7170, or email
Christian Keller, PIO/FF/Paramedic, 970.879.7170 or email