30 displaced, pets rescued after apartment fire in Lakewood caused by unattended space heater
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KRDO) – Thirty residents were displaced and one cat was killed after a fire at an apartment complex in Lakewood on Saturday was sparked by an unattended space heater.
According to West Metro Fire Rescue, at around 7 a.m. on Nov. 15, crews responded to an apartment building near 13th Avenue and Lamar Street after people called 911 to report seeing smoke and flames coming from an upper-level unit.
In an update at around 8:30 a.m., West Metro Fire Rescue said two upper-floor units had been damaged by the flames, and two units below had water damage. Smoke from the fire had also damaged the entire complex, the department said.
Photos shared by the department show the devastation left behind, with over a foot of burned and collapsed debris on the floor of the two adjacent apartments destroyed by the fire. Flames even reached into the attic, burning through the roof in one area.
Due to the extent of the damage, West Metro Fire said approximately 30 people will be displaced. The American Red Cross of Colorado was on scene to offer assistance to those left without a home to return to.
"Our caseworkers are getting to work to meet people’s immediate needs and begin the process of recovery," the organization said in a social media post.
West Metro Fire said its crews also rescued three cats and one parrot from the complex, but unfortunately, one of the cats did not survive.
In an update after further investigation, the department said it had identified the cause of the fire as a space heater that had been left unattended on the wooden deck of a second-floor unit.
As of the department's last update, crews were continuing overhaul work through the weekend to ensure that the fire did not rekindle and all hot spots were fully put out.
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