Chimney fire damages Red Cliff Victorian

A fire that started in a chimney flue heavily damaged a private residence in Red Cliff Sunday night, but no one was injured.The fire occurred at a home on the corner of High St. and Eagle Street owned by long-time local Jeff Spofford, who was home at the time. Over the years the building has served as the old Turkey Creek Inn and more recently as the Pilgrim Inn, a bed and breakfast. Nearby structures were not damaged. “You could see flames and a lot of smoke. It was very scary,” said Red Cliff resident Caroline Bradford, who saw the flames from her home. “It was heartbreaking to see the residents standing outside in their robes.”

Unburned deposits in the chimney flue were apparently ignited when a fire was started in the fireplace. The fire then spread to the building damaging it most heavily on the front of the building near the chimney.Firefighters said they had a difficult time snuffing the blaze because of the way the old structure was built. Fire worked its way through the roof and walls.”Fire travels around through the board spaces,” said Carol Mulson of the Eagle River Fire Protection District which extinguished the blaze. “Older construction makes it difficult to get the fire out.”

Firefighters from Minturn, Avon and Vail converged on the fire which was called in at about 9 p.m. They didn’t leave the scene until 2 a.m., Mulson said. Estimates of damage to the home have not yet been assembled, but the unburned portions of the home reportedly sustained smoke and water damage.Postmaster Diana Cisneros said she headed toward the blaze because it appeared it had started in the post office.”It was one of the nicer Victorian homes in town,” she said, adding that she believes the house was built in the 1890s.

Spofford could not be reached for comment about the fire.Staff Writer Cliff Thompson can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 450, or cthompson@vaildaily.comVail Colorado