A woman who died in a fire at a Denver assisted-living high-rise has been identified.
Mary Ann Vezina, 79, was found by firefighters Monday night in her smoke-filled, 10th-floor unit at the Francis Heights Apartments, 2626 Osceola St.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, who identified Vezina today, did not release the cause of her death pending “further studies.”
On Tuesday the Denver Fire Department issued a citation to the center for failing to practice fire drills quarterly, a violation of city codes, said Lt. Phil Champagne, a fire department spokesman.
Champagne said the fire scene was chaotic Monday night and residents failed to follow instructions given by firefighters over the building’s public address system.
Firefighters had the fire contained to Vezina’s apartment and residents were instructed to stay in their homes until they could be assisted. Instead they opened their doors, letting more smoke flow into their units, and they then wandered into smoke-choked hallways, Champagne said.
Firefighters then had to turn their attention away from the fire and pass their oxygen masks to residents to immediately evacuate them.
“What happened on the 10th floor, it could have been catastrophic,” Champagne said. “People were out in the hallways, they left their doors open.”
The day after the fire, firefighters checked with facilitators at Francis, a seniors and assisted-care center, and determined that they’ve not been conducting fire drills.
Champagne said the victim’s apartment was cluttered with stacks of newspapers 5-feet tall and other flammable materials.
“It added to the fire load,” Champagne said. “In a high-rise, the consequences could be dire.”
Four residents were treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital. Further detials on their conditions were not available.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
