AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Fire said Friday that the intersection of East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street is expected to reopen "within the next week" after a massive fire at an apartment complex under construction last month.
Crews responded to the fire just before 1 p.m. Dec. 16. The fire reportedly started on the top floor of the five-story apartment building. Though firefighters tried to extinguish it from the inside, worsening conditions forced crews to attack it from the outside and call in a fifth-alarm response.
A total of 42 units from Denver metro area departments initially responded to the fire, and more than 50 apparatus were used until the fire was extinguished five days later, on Dec. 21. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is being investigated in phases while a wrecking company demolishes the building due to safety concerns because of the building's height and potential for collapse.
Colfax is closed in both directions between Moline and Peoria streets, and Peoria is closed in both directions between 14th and 17th avenues. Roads will reopen incrementally as demolition continues.
Investigators do not believe there is a connection between this fire and another fire at apartment buildings under construction in the 7300 block of South Addison Court on Dec. 14, which is being investigated for potential criminal involvement.
Aurora Fire said this was the largest fire in terms of property loss in the department's history. Losses were based on property, materials, vehicles, equipment, tools and other factors.
The previous largest fire was a December 2002 fire at a warehouse near Interstate 70 and Chambers that resulted in more than $15 million in estimated property value loss, Aurora Fire said.
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