On Monday, December 18th, at 9:25 a.m. CSFD crews were dispatched to a possible structure fire at 704 S. 27th St. in Colorado Springs. Engine 5 arrived on scene at 9:29 a.m. to light smoke coming from the home. Upon entrance into the home, firefighters were met with heavy hoarding conditions. Due to those conditions, additional engines were ordered to help with resources. The fire spread to most of the home and inside the interior walls. The fire was deemed under control around 11 a.m.
1 person will be displaced from the home. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. 1 dog and two cats are deceased due to this fire. 1 other cat was found safe and returned to the occupant. 38 CSFD personnel responded to the scene.
Hoarding conditions can pose a significant risk to firefighters as fire can spread into small spaces making it difficult to locate the fire and causing the fire to spread. Those conditions can also cause obstructed exits, objects falling and excessive fire loading that can, in some cases, lead to collapse.
The cause of this fire was determined to be accidental due to a space heater being too close to combustible materials.
The CSFD recommends the following tips to heat your home safely:
- Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn
- Place the heater on a solid, flat surface
- Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off so it turns off if it tips over
- Plug space heaters directly into a wall, never use an extension cord
- Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed