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Tenants warned fire marshal, management of electrical issues before deadly fire

Ivy Crossings Apartments had multiple fire code violations, but South Metro Fire said the blaze was human-caused.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — The South Metro Fire Rescue marshal knew an apartment building was violating fire codes before the day it burned April 8, killing one person in Arapahoe County and injuring four others, an inspection document shows.

A video posted online by the tenant union at Ivy Crossings Apartments at 2380 S. Quebec St., shows the building that caught fire early Saturday morning had broken smoke detectors and missing fire extinguishers in the hallways. 

The fire inspection report from Feb. 9 notes the building was missing a manual fire alarm system and had faulty fire doors – both fire code violations.

Representatives for Ivy Crossing did not respond to multiple requests for comment Tuesday.

VIDEO: Victim of Ivy Crossing Apartments fire remembered

A spokesperson for South Metro Fire Rescue said it is not unusual for fire marshals to find violations during annual inspections and that they typically work with building management to correct issues.

On Wednesday, South Metro said that the fire was "human-caused and incendiary in nature."

People who lived in the complex said they had complained of electrical hazards to management for months prior to the fire to no avail.

"There was one outlet in particular where if we plugged anything into it, it would get physically hot," said Marcus Broker. "We were afraid that if we plugged anything in, that would be the one that would catch fire." 

Broker said he worried a fire might break out – and wrote to both management and the fire marshal.

"It felt unsafe just living there," he said.

Broker said management didn't fix the problem, so he moved out. When the fire broke out, he said he wasn't surprised.

"At this point I was kind of waiting for something to happen," he said.

Editor's note: This story was updated on April 12 after South Metro Fire Rescue said the fire was human-caused.

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