A fire in a quiet Castle Rock neighborhood is under
investigation by the Castle Rock fire department as possible
arson.
The fire began sometime before 8:30 p.m. July 9 in a home on the
1800 block of Quartz Street in The Meadows, said Art Morales, chief
of the Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department.
The house was empty at the time of the fire, which appeared to
have started on or near the living room couch, Morales said.
Firefighters arrived to find the living room furniture ablaze
and extensive smoke damage throughout the house.
The fire could have been smoldering for as long as 30 minutes
before neighbors noticed smoke coming from the house, Morales
said.
The exact cause and timeline is pending completion of the fire
investigation.
“They found a couch burning inside the living room [and the
fire] had extended to the couch adjacent to it,” Morales said. “Two
off-duty firefighters who live in the area had broken the front
window and were trying to put water on it through a garden
hose.”
Firefighters forced their way through the front door to gain
access to the house, which was locked at the time of the incident,
Morales said. There were no other signs of forced entry, he
said.
Firefighters extinguished the flames within five minutes, but,
by then, smoke and fire had caused estimated damages of more than
$100,000, Morales said.
“The smoke damage is so intense from couches because they’re
made of foam and just really burn black, acrid smoke,” Morales
said. “All of the furniture is fabric furniture, so it’s all been
very contaminated. There is damage to a lot of personal belongings,
drywall and windows.”
The homeowner is a single woman who was called home from work
when the fire was reported. Firefighters cleared the house around
10 p.m. and investigators remained on scene to try to determine the
cause of the fire.
The fire was contained to the living room and no one was hurt in
the incident. Rumors about possible suspects swirled in the
neighborhood, which is home to families drawn by the area’s
child-friendly atmosphere.
The area has been on guard in recent weeks with police reports
of two gunmen who robbed a nearby convenience store June 11, a
gun-wielding man observed crossing a front yard around 3 a.m. June
20, a subsequent car chase that began in the area and ended with
the suspect’s escape, and the attempted early-morning burglary of a
Meadows home June 28.
No arrests have been made and authorities are asking residents
to report signs of any unusual activity.
“There are a lot of things we’re looking at right now,” Morales
said. “The neighbors did say two males were in the area trying
doors on homes during the previous day. We don’t know if it’s
related to this [fire] or not. It’s still under investigation.”
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to
contact the Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department at
303-660-1066.
303-663-7162 |
rmoore@ccnewspapers.com