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Late-night fire Monday destroys Colorow home

Firefighters work to extinguish flames at a home on Colorow Road on Monday night. Without a municipal water supply, firefighters used water tenders capable of carrying 2,500 gallons each to combat the blaze.
Special to the Daily |

EDWARDS — A home near Cordillera was extensively damaged after a late-night fire broke out on Monday.

Nearly 30 firefighters labored into the early morning hours in an attempt to extinguish a fire in a home on Colorow Road that was reported at approximately 10 p.m. on Monday night. A neighbor called 911 after seeing flames approximately 30 feet high emanating from the structure. On arrival, crews reported that the home was already fully involved, with flames showing through the roof. The first arriving engine took a defensive strategy while the subsequent crews worked to set up a water supply.

Firefighters were hampered by the remote location and lack of a municipal water supply. Water tenders were used to shuttle in water from the Eagle River Fire Protection District’s Cordillera station on Carterville Road. Cold temperatures also made roads slick and difficult to negotiate.



“It was frustrating,” said Eagle River Fire Protection District public information officer Tracy LeClair. “We had four water tenders — capable of carrying roughly 2,500 gallons of water each — but it just wasn’t enough. Every time we would start to make some headway, we would run out of water. We calculated it was approximately a 30-minute round trip to refill each tender and get it back up the hill.”

No injuries were reported and the homeowners were not in the residence at the time of the fire. Damage is still being assessed; however, it appears to be extensive. The cause is still under investigation.

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Crews from Cordillera, Edwards, Avon and Minturn responded and were assisted by Vail Fire and Emergency Services, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Gypsum Fire Protection District, Vail Public Safety Communications Center, Eagle County Paramedic Services, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Vail Valley Salvation Army, Holy Cross Energy and Eagle County Road and Bridge.

In addition, Vail Fire and Greater Eagle Fire both relocated engines to Eagle River Fire Protection District to help cover other calls while it was committed to the incident.


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