8 Apartments Damaged In Colorado Fire

Firefighter Injured

By Oanna Bean
The Gazette

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Thirty-eight residents were evacuated from the Colony Hills apartment complex in southeast Colorado Springs after a two-alarm fire early Sunday morning, the Colorado Springs Fire Department said.

The residents were evacuated from an 18-apartment building at the complex after a fire started outside one of the apartments, said Tommy Smith, battalion chief. The remaining apartments in the building that, constructed in 1986, were evacuated because of concerns that the fire might have exposed asbestos, he said. Asbestos is a building material believed to cause health problems. The apartment complex is at 3950 Patrick Drive, off South Academy Boulevard and Drennan Road.

The fire department got its first call on the fire about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. After firefighters arrived at the complex, a second alarm was called. As many as 48 firefighters were at the scene, Smith said. Firefighters used a ground ladder to escort two people off an apartment balcony. Two apartments were damaged by fire, smoke and water; five by smoke; and one by smoke and water, he said.

Three people were treated at a local hospital and released, and a firefighter suffered a sprained ankle. Fire department officials are still investigating the fire’s cause, he said.

Nineteen residents have received help from the Red Cross, three are staying with family and 16 residents declined help, the department said.

Smoke alarms in the apartment building were working, enabling residents to get out of their apartments, he said.

“We were able to avoid any significant injury and fatalities because of the early warning from the smoke alarms,” Smith said.

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