An early Sunday morning fire destroyed a northeast Denver strip mall and lit up the sky with flames reaching 40 feet into the air.
The blaze at the Holly Square shopping center, near 34th Avenue and Holly Street, was reported about 4 a.m. Sunday. By the time fire crews arrived, the flames had broken through the roof of at least one business near the center of the mall, said Lt. Phil Champagne, spokesman for the Denver Fire Department.
Crews fought the fire for 2 1/2 hours, focusing on the north end of the building where a day-care center was protected by a fire wall. None of the other businesses was separated by one.
Seven of the eight stores, including the anchor Family Dollar store, suffered significant fire damage, Champagne said. The day-care center sustained heavy smoke and water damage as the fire broke through the fire wall in three spots.
The fire reached into a common attic area above the stores, which allowed it to spread unimpeded between the units, Champagne said.
One firefighter was injured when a hose struck him in the forehead, causing cuts and bruises to his face.
“He was a real trooper and stayed there to fight with us, refusing medical treatment,” Champagne said.
Officials don’t know where in the mall the fire started but suspect a market in the middle of the building.
Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier: 303-954-1661 or jsteltonholtmeier@denverpost.com
