Residents Displaced After Deadly Fire At Senior Living Complex
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – A three-alarm fire at a high rise apartment building has claimed the life of one resident.
Firefighters said that flames started in a kitchen after someone left food cooking -- unattended.
The fire broke out at the Heather Gardens senior living community near Interstate 225 and Yale Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
One man who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition has succumbed to his injuries.
Officials said that residents in twelve units on the building's sixth floor had been displaced.
Neighbors said that the man who lived in the unit where the fire started was in a wheelchair.
The scene was a frightening battle for residents and firefighters alike.
One firefighter called out a "mayday" after he got lost in thick smoke. The lost firefighter was able to make it out safely, but one resident was not.
Neighbors just learning of the death on Sunday were saddened by the loss.
"You're always very sorry to hear that anybody died," said Jim Guthrie, who lives a few buildings away. "And especially, unexpectedly in a fire."
After firefighters said the cause of the blaze was cooking left unattended, some neighbors admitted to having made the same mistake in the past.
"If it's as simple as putting on the microwave, and going back to watch TV until you hear the buzzer-- yeah, I've done that all the time," said Guthrie.
Sunday, workers cleaned up piles of debris.
Firefighters said that a malfunction in the building's water pipes made putting out the blaze a little trickier.
"(Firefighters) were still able to confine the fire to one unit, which was pretty amazing. It was a lot of fire," said Aurora Fire Rescue spokeswoman Laure Bridges.
One other person suffered moderate injuries from the fire and was expected to survive.
Bridges said that the initial 911 call came from someone inside the building who heard a smoke alarm.
"Do not leave cooking unattended," said Bridges. "And make sure your smoke detectors are in good working order, because they do save lives."
One dog also died in the fire.
The man who lost his life had not been identified.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.