DENVER — Three buildings were damaged in a large fire that broke out early Thursday morning at a construction site near the Denver Broncos stadium.
Firefighters first received calls about the blaze at 1930 North Grove St. just before 2 a.m., according to Denver Fire spokesperson Greg Pixley.
"We found small pieces of wood embers sparks that were flying a couple blocks away and as firefighters, we’re very aware that could be a dangerous situation," Pixley said. "We want to make sure that those embers don’t start additional fires down the street or across the block or miles away for that matter."
Upon arrival, crews found the building "well-involved" and requested additional units to keep the fire from spreading, Pixley said during a media briefing.
“Those fire fighters are freaking amazing the way that they went in worked together. It was an incredible sight," said Laura McMurrer, who stopped in the area around 2 a.m. to take pictures and shoot video of the scene, which she provided to 9NEWS. "Thank God no one is hurt. It was just the most incredible sight I’ve ever seen."
Two of the buildings destroyed by the blaze were under construction and are a total loss. One of the buildings was occupied at the time, and the family inside was able to get out safely.
The Denver Fire Department and Xcel Energy are evaluating the damage to utilities in the area.
No injuries were reported.
What caused the fire remains under investigation.
“We’re going to treat every fire as if there is a possibility that it can be malicious, until we rule out otherwise,” Pixley said.
The ATF told 9NEWS the agency’s investigators are helping Denver Fire with their probe.
“ATF Certified Fire Investigators will help conduct a fire scene examination and will help with the origin and cause report,” said ATF spokesperson Mary Markos.
PHOTOS: Fire near Broncos stadium
The general contractor on the project was ADC Construction. It was slated to become a townhome development of two buildings with seven units, according to Denver's Community Planning and Development Office.
The property is owned by United Petroleum Consulting Services, an American limited liability company made up mostly of Australian members, according to Mike Marte, who represents the Australian development consortium in the U.S.
Marte is also part owner and president of ADC Construction, the general contractor on the Grove Street project.
Marte told 9NEWS the company was pushing to complete both buildings of the project in July.
He added that ADC has one other project in the Denver area, at 1515 Julian St., an 8-story condo building.
ADC's contractor's license is on hold because their certificate holder has left the company. That means no work has occurred on the site since April 17. This occasionally happens when people leave companies, according to CPD.
"We are all stunned and deeply saddened by the news of the fire on our Grove Street project early this morning, and at the same time profoundly grateful that no one was injured in the incident," Marte said in a statement.
"While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, we are doing everything we can to assist the fire department investigators in the performance of their duties," the statement said. "It is our hope that we can quickly begin rebuilding what we feel is the premier townhome development in Denver.”
