Blue River House Explodes

Thursday, October 16, 2008 - Breckenridge, CO

At approximately 7:00 p.m. last night, Red, White & Blue Fire responded to a house explosion. When firefighters arrived at 0081 Blue Rock Rd., they found the house totally engulfed in fire, with flame heights reaching 60 feet.

No one was home at the 1500 square foot residence, which is owned by Leo Smith from Parker. A tenant, who lived in an apartment over the detached garage, was home and heard the explosion. He quickly ran out of the building, uninjured. The garage was also consumed by the fire.

Firefighters worked for over three hours to douse the flames, and stayed overnight cooling the area. The house, which was built in 1985, was a total loss. Firefighters protected nearby homes were protected from the heat and flames.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Fire Marshal Jay Nelson, who is heading the investigation, believes the fire was unintentional.

"At this time, we suspect the explosion and subsequent fire was caused by an equipment failure of the propane gas furnace or fireplace," said Nelson.

"Red, White & Blue would like to encourage our residents to make sure your appliances are regularly maintained and in good working order," he said.

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Press Contact:
Capt. Kim Scott, PIO
cell: 970.485.4374
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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