A raging fire gutted an office building in east Denver early Wednesday morning.
The blaze broke out at about 1:20 a.m. at 5925 E. Evans Ave., said Assistant Chief Joe Hart of the Denver Fire Department.
Dozens of firefighters battled the fire in the U-shaped, two-story building for several hours, finally getting the upper hand and putting it out at about 4 a.m., Hart said.
None of the 67 firefighters who fought the blaze were injured, and authorities believe no one was in the building, which was being remodeled or under construction, Hart said.
When firefighters arrived, they found flames shooting out of the west side of the building and heavy smoke streaming out of the east side.
Among the businesses in the building were a bartending school and a former Republican Party office.
About an hour after firefighters arrived, a 2-inch gas line ruptured, adding to the already heavy flames, and eventually, the roof of the building collapsed, Hart said.
The fire was so heavy and intense that no firefighters entered the structure as they battled it.
The building is a “total loss,” Hart said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
