Four people were injured Friday when an industrial building in Leadville caught fire after an explosion.
One person’s injuries were reported to be critical.
The fire started at 3:15 p.m. at a former Coca-Cola bottling plant south of Leadville on U.S. 24. Late Friday night, firefighters continued their efforts to contain the blaze, said Betty Benson, Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
“It’s hard to say just how long it’s going to take to put this out,” Benson said. “It’s a big building and it’s very compartmentalized.”
The building was converted to house several businesses, including an automotive-repair shop, a masonry and a woodworking business, Benson said. The large amount of wood and possible chemicals in the building may be making the fire difficult to extinguish, she added.
“I don’t think this looks like a total loss,” Benson said. “It looks like we may be able to save some of the building.”
All four victims were in the building at the time of the first explosion. Benson said three victims were treated for smoke inhalation and one victim, who suffered burns, was transported by ambulance to a hospital.
“We believe everyone is accounted for,” Benson said.
Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze, including Summit County, Lake County, Copper Mountain and Salida.
Jordan Steffen:303-954-1638 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
