DENVER — Friends of a woman who died in a house fire a week ago have identified her as Jessica McMillan, a well-known artist in the Denver community.
The fire happened July 7 near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Utica Street, a few blocks east of Sheridan Boulevard. When Denver Fire Department crews arrived on scene just before 2:30 a.m., they brought McMillan out from the house. She was pronounced dead.
William Wright lived with McMillan and said they had known each other for more than 10 years.
"Jessica and I moved out here about seven years ago from South Carolina," he said. "She was a force of inspiration and kindness. She always had my back, and I always had hers, even when we were mad at each other. So it’s going to be difficult moving forward in this life without her."
McMillan lived with three other people. All of her roommates were out of town at the time, including Wright.
"We lost probably one of the most integral parts of our community," he said. "I don't know quite like where to go from here, but I know that it's going to be OK."
Two animals were also injured in the fire. They were Wright's and McMillan's pets.
"We brought them both out here," Wright said. "They're just the light of my world right now and really helping me push through this."
The dog and car are expected to recover, but Wright is looking at $10,000 in emergency vet bills. His friends are fundraising to ease some of that burden.
Wright shared photos of McMillan's work on Monday. He said many of her paintings survived the fire. So did a few of her last words.
"We found her gratitude journal," he said as he searched for a photo on his phone. "Her final positive affirmation was: 'My life is full of abundance. I appreciate every blessing no matter how small.'"
9NEWS reached out to the Denver Fire Department about the cause of the fire. They said that is still under investigation.