KUSA — Two people were injured on Monday afternoon after the car they were traveling in careened into a home, struck an electric meter and sparked a fire, according to the Eagle River Fire Protection District. A dog was also hurt in the crash.
It happened around 1 p.m. on Norgaard Way in Cordillera, which is just outside of Edwards in Eagle County. When the vehicle, which appears to be an SUV, hit the garage, it also struck the electric meter and caused a fire.
The driver was able to get himself out of the car after the collision, but was then trapped in the garage that was filled with heavy smoke. Firefighters, working with near-zero visibility, were able to get him out of the garage through another car and out another door.
The passenger, who was trapped inside the SUV, was given an apparatus for her to breathe with while crews worked to rescue her. During that time, the garage began to collapse, causing debris to hit her and a firefighter.
Crews were then able to reposition the car in the garage using hydraulic equipment and removed the trapped woman through the driver’s side door.
Both people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other minor injuries. A dog that was in the home was taken to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment.
“Firefighters train relentlessly for dangerous situations," ERFPD Fire Chief Karl Bauer said in a release. “Every now and then they are confronted with a truly complex, rapidly involving incident that puts all their training to the test in unexpected ways. This was one of those incidents. For all the dangers this incident posed, we are genuinely grateful no one suffered serious injury.”
The structural integrity of the house is currently being evaluated, according to the Eagle River Fire Protection District.
The release from the Eagle River Fire Protection District did not mention what caused the driver to hit the home. It's also unclear if the home the SUV struck belonged to the people who hit it.
