A Denver apartment fire early Monday left one person dead and forced the evacuation of dozens more, officials say.
The blaze was first reported about 5 a.m. near the intersection of York Street and 14th Avenue. First responders encountered “extreme heat and fire,” Chief Desmond Fulton said.
Fulton said the fire was contained to an apartment on the third floor of the York Street Garden Apartments building, which has between 35 and 40 units. No one else was injured.
“It was very quick,” Fulton said of how fast the blaze was knocked down.
Investigators are combing the scene of the fire to determined how the blaze began.
Crews initially arriving at the fire reported no flames or smoke were showing from the apartment building, dispatch recordings captured on show.
It wasn’t until firefighters were inside that they realized the seriousness of the situation.
“We got a fire in the far right-hand corner,” someone called over the radio.
“We’ve got a victim,” another said. “We’re pulling him out.”
Officials said they did not immediately have information on the name or gender of the person killed, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
