DENVER — More than a day after a massive fire tore through an apartment complex under construction in Denver, firefighters continued working to extinguish lingering hot spots while investigators sought answers about what caused the blaze.
The fire, which burned across roughly an entire city block, left surrounding residents and business owners shaken but thankful their homes and livelihoods were largely spared from destruction.
Mark Lampert, owner of Ann Lampert Realty just north of the construction site, said the speed and intensity of the flames left him unsure whether his building would survive.
“It was just moving right up the hill,” Lampert said.
Lampert later walked behind his property and the neighboring Kohelet Synagogue, where damage from the fire was clearly visible. The synagogue, located immediately next to Lampert’s business, suffered extensive fire damage.
Congregants Misty and Ed Davidson said the scene was almost impossible to comprehend.
“It’s something Hollywood would have come up with, like, a movie like this doesn’t really happen,” Misty Davidson said.
From the same vantage point, Denver7 crews observed damage to nearby homes, including melted siding caused by the intense heat radiating from the fire.
Across the street, resident Jenny Rosenberg said she felt the force of the fire firsthand when she briefly opened her front door.
“I thought, I’m just gonna open the door. And the minute I opened the door, I felt the heat,” Rosenberg said.
Despite the scale of the blaze, Rosenberg said firefighters’ response prevented a far worse outcome for the neighborhood.
“Thank you to the firefighters, because I don’t know how all of these homes aren’t burned down. I mean, seriously, it’s a miracle,” Rosenberg said.
Firefighters continued pouring water on the smoldering construction site more than 24 hours after the fire began, as investigators worked to determine what sparked the incident.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was on scene to assist with the investigation. Officials also deployed an explosive detection canine to search for potential evidence as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Authorities have not yet released details about a possible cause, and the investigation remains active.
Originally reported by Claire Lavezzorio in Denver 7.
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