A fire at an apartment complex in Boulder that displaced dozens of residents Saturday probably flared from an improperly extinguished cigarette, according to the city’s fire marshall.
The three-alarm blaze started on a fourth-level deck on the northwest side of the 50-unit complex at 949 Marine St.
Investigators aren’t positive that smokers accidentally started the fire but said it was a “high probability.”
No criminal charges are anticipated.
More than 50 firefighters, including all available Boulder Fire Department resources and crews from neighboring departments, were called to the apartment complex.
Asbestos has been found at the building, and it is currently uninhabitable.
“State inspectors are working closely with environmental consultants to determine the appropriate course of action to take,” state air-pollution control division spokesman Christopher Dann said in a release.
