For the second time since August, a raging apartment fire broke out in the Baker neighborhood early Friday morning, leading to the closure of North Santa Fe Drive at West Fourth Avenue, authorities said.
No one was injured by the fire because the building was fenced off for construction work following the August gas explosion, according to a Denver dispatcher.
The suspected gas explosion was reported at 4:43 a.m. at 374 W. Santa Fe Drive. More than an hour later, firefighters were pouring water on the fire.
By 8:25 a.m., Denver Fire official Nate Kelley said the fire was contained within a single building, and had not spread. He said firefighters were hitting a few remaining hot spots, but that the fire was pretty much out.
DFD crew's working to extinguish the final areas of fire at 374 Santa Fe Dr. This will take time as fire is hidden in pockets & voids. No injuries were reported. Avoid the area. We're working with to keep Santa Fe closed as investigators work to determine the cause.
— Denver Fire Department (@Denver_Fire)
“It’s the same place as last time,” the dispatcher said. “Arson investigators are on scene but they won’t go in to investigate until the fire is out.”
Kelley confirmed that the fire was in the same building that exploded in August. “Thatap pretty unusual” for firefighters to respond to the same location twice, especially considering the shape the building already was in, he said.
The fire took time to extinguish because flames and embers were hiding in various pockets and voids around the property, the fire department said in a Tweet.
Another fire official told The Denver Post the building is too dangerous to enter in order to investigate the cause and origin of the fire.
Karen Skadow lives across the street. She said she wonders how this building could have gone up in flames — again. “Itap a little concerning since I live right here” she said.
Joel Watkins lives down the street and owns a rental property next to the damaged building. “It makes me very nervous,” he said. “This is very dangerous.”
Thomas Tucker said the owner of the property hired him to do security for the building after the August explosion. He said he spends hours every day making sure none of the homeless hanging out in the area come into the building.
“I’ve done a pretty good job keeping people out,” Tucker said. He said he could vouch that no one was living in the building at the time of the fire.
Tucker said the owner is currently in Nevada visiting an ill relative. The building was scheduled to be demolished in the near future, he said.
. spraying this smoldering building — second time since August this location burst into flames
— Sam Tabachnik (@sam_tabachnik)
Nine people were injured in the natural gas explosion on the afternoon of Aug. 14 in Denver’s Baker neighborhood. Two people were hospitalized — one in critical condition. The explosion and fire left rubble including bricks, wooden beams and debris where a six-unit building once stood.
A 56-year-old handyman, Todd Norman Perkins, was arrested Feb. 11 on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder and attempted first-degree arson in that gas explosion. Perkins lived on the property, in a camper, at the time of the explosion and was a handyman at the facility, said Greg Pixley, Denver Fire Department spokesman.
Perkins allegedly disconnected gas lines to a furnace, a stove and a water heater, with the lines open and emitting gas. He then allegedly poured gasoline throughout a basement, police have previously said.
Perkins is being held in the Downtown Detention Center on a $500,000 bond, according to Denver Sheriff Department records.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
