Five people including a firefighter were hospitalized with injuries during a fire ignited by a series of explosions at a 50,000 square foot industrial building in Leadville yesterday.
One injured person was rushed to University Hospital in Aurora and four were admitted at a hospital in Leadville, said Capt. John Ortiz, spokesman for the Leadville Lake County Fire-Rescue.
None of the names of the victims or their current medical conditions were available. The firefighter was hospitalized overnight for observation with minor, undisclosed injuries.
An explosion rocked the structure at 501 U.S. Highway 24 at 3:07 p.m. and was followed by a series of large and small explosions as chemicals ignited in four industrial businesses in the complex.
Six fire departments from Copper Mountain, Eagle River, Buena Vista, Chaffee County and Salida responded, fighting the intense blaze that charred much of the building, destroying equipment in four businesses.
There were numerous explosions in the first two hours in a towing shop, a auto repair business, a woodworking shop and a masonry shop. The fire moved quickly from one business to the other.
Firefighters had to keep hoses running to prevent them from freezing up even though pressure was low because of how many hoses were being used, Ortiz said.
Embers will continue to smoulder for at least a few days, he said.
Investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Leadville Police Department and the fire rescue team will determine the cause of the fire, Ortiz said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
