Pueblo house fire leaves one person dead: Cause of fire still under investigation

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A deadly house fire is under investigation in Pueblo this Friday. 

Lance Ricord is the owner of this property on Palmer Avenue. He told KRDO he's devastated about the death of his friend who was living at his guest house. 

"I was just hoping she wasn't in there…. but she was," said Ricord.

Toys turned into ash, kitchen supplies melted and the upstairs caved in. That's what's left in the backyard of Ricord's property.

The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Ricord said he smelled an order when he got home from work.

"I smelled what smelt like fire that hadn't been put out that stinky smell and I thought what the heck is that smell, and I looked around and I didn't see anything," said Ricord.

He went to bed, but around 5 a.m. the odor was much stronger. 

"I woke up and I smelled that smell some more because it was stronger," added Ricord.

That's when we stepped outside onto his balcony and saw flames coming out of the guest house. Ricord ran to the home and opened the door.

"That smoke engulfed me, the flames started flaring up," said Ricord.

That's when he called 9-1-1. Firefighter crews arrived minutes later. Twenty firefighters put out the fire in 24 minutes.

" I thought the whole place was going to catch on fire," said Ricord.

He said he has no idea what could have started the fire in the back house.

Now fire crews are investigating the cause. The identity of the woman who died in the fire has not been released yet.