Red, White & Blue Responds to Fire

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - Breckenridge, CO

At approximately 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Red, White & Blue Fire District was called to a house fire at 350 Timber Trail. Arriving on scene, firefighters observed flames visible through the windows adjacent to the front door of the 6500 square foot home under construction.

The crew forced entry through the front door and quickly extinguished the fire. Ventilation was performed to remove the smoke from inside the house. Firefighters did not find any extension of the fire into the walls or other floors. Damage was contained to the floor area and up one log column inside of the house.

Fire investigation determined that the cause of the fire was unintentional and appeared to have started when building materials fell onto a propane space heater (100 lb. tank) that was turned on at the time. Damage is estimated to be at $30,000.

"Luckily for everyone involved, an observant citizen was walking his dog at the time, noticed the fire and called 9-1-1," said Battalion Chief Lori Miller. "He actually went in to the house, turned off the propane heater and dragged it outside the house," she said.

"While we applaud his courageous efforts, generally, we strongly urge citizens not to enter a house on fire," said Captain Kim Scott. "Personal safety is our number one concern and we hope that people seriously consider all of the consequences before making that decision," she said.

11 firefighters from Red, White & Blue responded in 2 engines and a ladder truck. Lake Dillon Fire/Rescue assisted with 4 firefighters and an engine.

Contractors are reminded that we are entering the cold season and to follow the manufacturers’ guidelines on minimum clearance around space heaters. Red, White & Blue recommends at least a 3 foot clearance around such heaters.

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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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