At least 75 people were displaced and two were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out on the ninth floor of Brooks Tower in downtown Denver early this morning.
The fire, which may have been sparked by an electrical short, traveled up to the 12th floor along a corridor of utility rooms, said Lt. Phil Champagne, Denver fire spokesman.
Building maintenance workers at the residential skyscraper with 550 condominiums on 42 floors at 1020 15th St. reported the fire at 3:34 a.m., said Danny Martinez, a security officer who works at the front desk.
“It’s been chaotic this morning,” Martinez said. “Little by little we’re getting things back in order.”
Firefighters fought the blaze from the 12th floor down while evacuating people down a stairwell, he said. The building’s intercom system was used to warn residents how to get to safety, he said.
Although the fire did not burn any of the apartments, heavy black smoke forced some residents in apartments above the 12th floor to leave, Champagne said.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined but it was likely accidental, he said.
Several residents on the ninth floor reported hearing strange noises the past several days, Champagne said. It’s unclear whether what they heard was related to the fire though, he said.
“It’s a real concern to put those people back in place as soon as they can,” he said of apartment management.
Residents will likely be displaced for several days, he said.
Martinez said most of the floors have electricity already.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
