A late morning fire apparently caused when food ignited in an apartment kitchen led to the evacuation of at least 14 units of the apartment complex in unincorporated Adams County, North Washington Fire District officials said.
Battalion Chief Mike Ramos said the fire at the Village at the Coronado came in at 11:20 a.m.
He said four engines, one ladder truck and three medical units responded.
He said a mother and her child fled the second-floor apartment where the fire started and other residents self-evacuated.
Ramos said the smoke was so intense that it was impossible to see on the second and third floors of the affected building.
He said one person – who did not live in the apartment where the fire started – was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
He said firefighters were able to limit fire damage to the one apartment on the second floor. He said the apartment directly under it suffered some water damage.
But heavy smoke made another 12 to 14 apartments on the third and fourth floor uninhabitable, Ramos added.
Ramos said he doubted the residents of the smoke-filled apartment would be able to return tonight. About 35-to-40 people were affected.
Ramos said the woman apparently was cooking in the kitchen when the fire broke out. He said he does not believe the item being cooked was a turkey.
The woman does not speak English and firefighters have called for a translator to help assist in the fire investigation.
The Village at the Coronado is in the 1800 block of Nueva Vista Drive.
A Red Cross Disaster Action Team is currently at the complex. The Red Cross will provide housing for the night, food, blankets, comfort kits and help refilling medications.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
