Fire Destroys Lakewood Apartment Building; Two Cats Lost, Four Residents Displaced
A space heater sparked a fire early Friday morning, destroying a small apartment building in Lakewood, displacing four residents, and resulting in the loss of two cats. The fire broke out in a five-unit building near 12th Avenue and Ammons Street. West Metro Fire Rescue responded to the call at 4:47 a.m.
The fire originated in an unoccupied unit where an electric space heater was reportedly being used to prevent pipes from freezing.
Firefighters arrived within five minutes, but the blaze was challenging to contain due to multiple roof layers connecting the units, which allowed the fire to spread through the ceiling and into the attic. Crews were seen cutting through the roof with chainsaws to apply water to the affected areas, as shown in a video posted by WMFR.
Though the building was declared a total loss, all residents evacuated without injury. Four people were displaced, and while ferrets were safely rescued, two cats unfortunately perished in the fire.
