Black Forest Home A ‘Total Loss’ After Fire
BLACK FOREST – Firefighters believe a house on Wild Oak Drive is atotal loss after a fire ignited around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, and they are looking for the man who lives there.
A neighbor says he heard several explosions, then saw the home’s garage on fire. He called for help, then tried to wake the sole male resident by throwing pebbles against a window. The blaze quickly spread and intensified through the wood and brick home. Firefighters tried to search the home, but were forced to back away.
The rural area has no fire hydrants, so water had to be transported in on narrow dirt roads difficult for heavy vehicles to maneuver on. That slightly delayed the response by firefighters, but they say the home already was beyond saving at that point. Crews then concentrated on fighting the fire defensively to keep it from spreading into the forest.
The resident is believed to be around 50 years of age, and worked from his home. Authorities had not determined his whereabouts as of 1 p.m. A cadaver dog from El Paso County Search & Rescue was brought to the scene.
An investigation is underway to identify the cause of the fire. Black Forest, Falcon, Larkspur, Tri-Lakes and Wescott Fire Departments responded. About 50 firefighters worked the blaze. The fire was under control by 7 a.m.
