Lakewood residents try to rebuild after fire damages, destroys 10 apartments
In the early hours of Nov Lakewood resident Jonathan Campos got the phone call no one wants to ever receive While he was traveling home after a trip his mom Gloria called him in a panic The family s apartment their home of years was on fire Campos and his family are among the people displaced by a fire that tore through a Lakewood apartment building before sunrise on Nov sparked by an unattended space heater on a wooden deck The fire damaged or destroyed all units in the building either by fire water or smoke One cat was killed in the fire The Campos apartment was destroyed by water from the fire in the unit above and Gloria Campos managed to grab her purse and a pair of shoes as she escaped Everything else in their home was destroyed My mom is devastated that was her house that was all she knew Jonathan Campos revealed Now the Campos and other families who lived in the building at West th Avenue and North Lamar Street are trying to rebuild their lives from scratch and at least four of the families have started crowdfunding campaigns through GoFundMe FINAL UPDATE The cause of the fire was an unattended space heater on the wood deck of the second floor end unit The video from a resident who lives several doors down from the fire unit shows fire conditions just as the first engine- West Metro Engine - arrived on scene The https t co rlZ lNZq G pic twitter com BiiibxkZNg WestMetroFire WestMetroFire November The Campos are staying with family and trying to get together enough money for a deposit on another apartment and essentials like clothes Everything we had in a blink of an eye just disappeared because of certain neighbors that were irresponsible Jonathan Campos explained In a message a spokesperson for the apartment s property management company IPM Residential noted staff were on scene before the fire was put out and helped residents in five units relocate to new housing Two families decided to terminate their leases and three are still deciding what they want to do managing partner Debbi King disclosed in an email All our residents have renter s insurance and are being encouraged to make immediate contends for damage to their personal property King revealed Ownership and property management staff will also continue to work with residents to provide assistance as needed Related Articles Fatal Adams County house fire started by fire pit on back deck Colorado s fire departments need more firefighters and more money for equipment review says The apartment fire was also a rare circumstance of a building fire rekindling after firefighters left the scene which only happens in about of home structure fires according to West Metro Fire Rescue The fire restarted later that night likely caused by embers caught in the attic insulation West Metro spokesperson Ronda Scholting declared Our firefighters take rekindles very seriously They train extensively on overhaul use tools like thermal imaging cameras and when needed return to re-check a scene specifically to catch any lingering hot spots before they become a challenge Scholting disclosed in a message Even so in a heavily damaged space with deep debris there is no way to guarantee zero menace The fire inquiry is still open Scholting added Lakewood families rebuilding after apartment fire Backing Jonathan Campos After Fire Tragedy Help James Harper Carmelo and Diego Rebuild After Fire Help Arely S enz s Family After Devastating Fire Help Olivia and Max Rebuild After Fire Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day
