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Tag: Denver fire

  • Massive apartment construction site fire in Denver burns into Saturday

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    DENVER — A massive fire that tore through a three-story apartment complex under construction in Denver on Friday evening was still smoldering Saturday as crews battled hotspots.

    The blaze erupted at the Harker Heights building site at around 6:45 p.m. Friday near S. Leetsdale Drive and S. Forest Street, forcing street closures, evacuations and injuring one firefighter. No other injuries were reported. S. Leestdale Drive remains closed between S. Forest and S. Holly streets.

    Evacuations were issued for residents behind the construction site on Friday evening due to heat from the fire. Officials said 12 families stayed at an emergency shelter overnight from Friday into Saturday, but the shelter closed around noon on Saturday.

    “We just all were rushing into the car, and my dad was grabbing drinks because we didn’t know if we were going to have to stay out of our house all day,” said an evacuee.

    The fire has caused significant air quality concerns, and nearby residents were advised to stay indoors.

    “I would try to find a way to avoid breathing in this smoke. It is not good for you. Wear a mask or just get plain, get away from it. There’ll be smoke generating from this for a while,” said Robert Murphy, operations division chief for the Denver Fire Department.

    The fire continued to spread eastward through the unfinished structure throughout the night. More than 150 firefighters worked to control it.

    Denver

    Apartment construction site fire took up ‘a complete city block’ in Denver

    Fire officials said the flames engulfed an entire city block, causing significant damage to the structure and multiple pieces of construction equipment. They said that several nearby homes and businesses may have sustained exposure damage, such as heat or smoke impact. Power outages in the immediate area were also reported.

    A full damage assessment has not been completed. Firefighters said multiple sections of the building have collapsed, making it impossible to search for potential victims or determine the cause of the fire at this time.

    Denver7

    “There was a little bit of wind when this fire first came in,” said Murphy. “A fire of this size actually generates its own mini wind and starts pushing those embers out. When I arrived, those embers completely covered my car. That has since died down. That was when the fire was at its peak.”

    He said the complex did not have any drywall to slow the fire’s progress, and was not yet outfitted with a sprinkler system.

    “This has really reached the level of about a five-alarm fire, which is huge for Denver,” he explained.

    On Saturday morning, AirTracker7 flew over the scene and captured video of at least 35 firefighters still battling flames in parts of the unfinished structure. Firefighters will work throughout the day and night to extinguish the fire.

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    Denver7

    A nearby resident, Lauren McClelland, told Denver7 that they initially thought the entire area was on fire.

    “I was scared,” said McClelland. “As I was driving, I was thinking that my neighborhood was on fire.”

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    Bryce Beamish

    Another neighbor, Ila Bordelon-Walker, said she mistook the blaze for fireworks at first.

    “I was actually taking a nap when I heard this really loud booming sound. Waking up, I thought it was leftover fireworks from New Year’s, so I just stayed in my room for a while,” said Bordelon-Walker.

    In a statement Saturday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston praised firefighters:

    “Last night, our city witnessed true courage. Our firefighters ran toward danger when a huge fire broke out at a construction site in the Hilltop/Glendale area. More than 150 firefighters put their own safety on the line, and thanks to their quick response and bravery, families are safe and nearby businesses were protected. We are incredibly grateful to the Denver Fire Department today, and to the crews from neighboring districts who jumped in to support. We don’t know the cause, but the fire department will begin a thorough investigation. For now, we just want to say thank you,” Johnston said.

    Massive apartment construction site fire in Denver burns into Saturday

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  • Nobody injured in 3-alarm fire at construction site for new apartments in Denver

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    DENVER — A three-alarm fire at a construction site for a Denver apartment complex forced evacuations for nearby residents on Friday evening, officials said, adding that nobody was injured in this blaze.

    A public information officer with the Denver Fire Department told Denver7 that about 100 firefighters are currently at the blaze, which fully engulfed a three-story apartment complex that was under construction.

    Firefighters began evacuations for nearby homes. Those evacuation orders are no longer in place.

    Denver7’s news helicopter flew over the scene on Friday night. Below is a sped-up timelapse of what we saw.

    Three-alarm fire in Denver | Jan. 2, 2026

    Nobody has been injured, the fire department said.

    Leetsdale Drive is closed in both directions, according to the Denver Police Department.

    Viewers sent in the below videos, which show the initial blaze off of Leetsdale Drive.

    Firefighters responding to large fire in Denver

    Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio went to the scene and spoke with families in the neighborhood, who said power was turned off and firefighters knocked on their doors telling them to evacuate.

    Denver7

    Residents watch a large fire burning in Denver from afar. Neighbors in the area told Denver7 they were asked to evacuate.

    Resident Sean Horan said he walked out of his neighbors’ house to see a small orange glow. Just a few minutes later, he said he saw flames that he estimated were 150 feet tall when compared to trees near the burning structure.

    “Now we’re not sure if we can even get back to our houses,” added neighbor Michael Weiss. “The whole street is barricaded off… It’s really, really scary.”

    Horan said a large apartment complex was under construction in the area, and he suspected that was what had caught fire.

    denver fire jan 2 2025

    Denver7

    He said it did not look like it had spread to any trees in the area.

    “Waiting out here, looking at this, is pretty depressing,” Weiss said, glancing at the blaze.

    Denver fire_Bryce Beamish

    Bryce Beamish

    The cause of the fire is unknown.

    This is a breaking story. Refresh for updates.

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  • The Denver commission that oversees police and fire hiring has a new boos

    The Denver commission that oversees police and fire hiring has a new boos

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    Denver news

    The last executive director of the Denver Civil Service Commission was fired after claiming political interference.

    Denver Police officer Ismael Lopez pins a badge to his brother, Ivan lopez’s, lapel as he graduates from the Denver Police Academy. March 31, 2023.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Gracie Perez will be the new Executive Director of the Denver Civil Service Commission, the independent body that oversees police and fire department hiring.

    The Commission’s last director, Niecy Murray, was fired by fellow commissioners in May.

    Murray’s firing came after she went public with claims that the Mayor’s Office was pushing the board to lower hiring standards and ignore applicant red flags so they could quickly staff up the police and fire departments. 

    The Mayor’s office, department leadership and fellow commissioners denied the claims. Miller said the board had been deliberating about letting Murray go for weeks before she spoke out about alleged political interference.

    Perez will take the lead in screening, testing and hiring police and fire department recruits.

    It’s a key job, especially now as the city tries to staff up a police department that has struggled with understaffing and recruiting in recent years. 

    In September, Mayor Mike Johnston pledged to add 167 new police officers. But the city hasn’t been able to completely fill its budgeted positions. 

    Perez most recently worked as State & Regional Operations Director for Access & Eligibility Services with the Texas Health & Human Services, overseeing more than 6,000 employees. 

    “Ms. Perez is a solutions-driven, organized leader who brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, policy development, process improvement and decision-making in public service to the Commission,” wrote commission member Amber Miller in a statement announcing the decision. “Her extensive background in managing teams and complex operations will be invaluable as she steps into this crucial role.”

    Perez starts the job on Aug. 26.

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  • Denver voters will decide if qualified non-citizens can apply for police and fire jobs

    Denver voters will decide if qualified non-citizens can apply for police and fire jobs

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    Politics

    The change could help Denver staff civil service roles like the Police Department. 

    With a mock structure fire burning above them, Denver Fire Department recruits pull a hose into the building during “Hell Night” at the Denver Fire Training Center, Oct. 7, 2023.

    Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

    Denver voters will decide in November if the city will remove its citizenship requirement for police and fire department jobs. 

    The change would allow non-citizens who meet certain work and residency requirements to apply for roles in those departments, bringing Denver into compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws. 

    City Council voted unanimously on Monday to pass the question on to voters this fall. 

    If passed, applicants would still need to meet a number of physical, mental, age and education requirements that apply to all police and fire recruits. Applications without U.S. citizenship would apply to people with valid work authorization, people with legal permanent residency and those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status who arrived in the country as children.

    In 2016, the city settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Justice Department over citizenship requirements for the Sheriff Department, which violated the federal Immigration and Nationality Act. 

    This new bill aims to bring Denver’s Police and Fire Departments in line. 

    A 2023 state bill lifted a ban on certain non-citizens carrying firearms, a requirement for some of those jobs.

    Councilmember Jamie Torres is cosponsoring the bill with Council President Amanda Sandoval.

    “We absolutely are standing right in the face of employment discrimination, and I don’t want to see that in our charter, in any of our code, and for us to just look like we can ignore it until the Department of Justice comes knocking at our door,” Torres said. “I think it’s responsible for us to make sure that we lift that barrier and that issue proactively. And that I think is one thing, but the other is it’s the right thing to do.”

    Qualified applicants without citizenship can already serve in the Denver Sheriff Department and several other city roles. 

    Many other cities including Aurora already allow non-citizens to serve in police and fire departments. Denver’s Civil Service Commission, a few nonprofits that work with immigrants and leadership from both Fire and Police departments wrote letters in support of the change. 

    Torres emphasized that the proposal is not in response to the influx of new immigrants in Denver. That group of newcomers would not be eligible for these jobs until they received legal permanent residency or work authorization. 

    But the potential change does come as Denver struggles with staffing in civil service roles like the Police Department. 

    “I saw a lot of the misinformation headlines out there tying this to quote-unquote ‘illegal immigrants,’ which I hate, but it isn’t for undocumented residents,” she said. “I think people needed to be reminded that we still have rules and laws and vetting in place for any job, not just our safety jobs.”

    Denver voters will decide on Nov. 5.

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  • Fire ravages Denver apartment building

    Fire ravages Denver apartment building

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    DENVER — Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at a Denver apartment building Saturday. No injuries have been reported.

    The fire broke out around 3 p.m. near E. Mississippi Avenue and S. Valentia Street.

    Crews arrived to find the building engulfed in heavy smoke and fire.

    The strong winds hampered firefighting efforts, according to the Denver Fire Department.

    Denver Fire said crews moved to a defensive strategy because of the weakened structure and multiple collapses.

    Flames appeared to have heavily damaged multiple units in the complex.

    The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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  • Denver school collects more than $10,000 for cafeteria worker after house fire

    Denver school collects more than $10,000 for cafeteria worker after house fire

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    DENVER — A Denver school collected more than $10,000 to help a beloved cafeteria worker whose home was damaged in a fire.

    Rose Gianni’s dedication is well known at Denver Green School Southeast. After her north Denver mobile home was damaged by two electrical fires, school staff launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help.

    Since Denver7 shared Gianni’s story, the GoFundMe has collected more than $10,000 in donations.

    “I feel so grateful. I wish I could tell everybody thank you. Thank you, thank you for everything they have done,” Gianni said Thursday.

    “I honestly didn’t think it was going to get the traction it received,” said Aleaha Harkins, a music teacher at the school.

    Harkins said she was inspired to start the fundraiser because of Gianni’s connection to students and staff.

    “It’s been incredible. When I first started this, I set a fairly small goal, and I thought that was going to be a huge feat. And once we surpassed that goal, it just filled my heart because now Rose is able to actually get the repairs that she needs,” said Harkins.

    Gianni said she will be able to move back after the necessary repairs are made. Electricians said her home will need to be rewired.

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  • Denver school comes together to help cafeteria worker after fire damages home

    Denver school comes together to help cafeteria worker after fire damages home

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    DENVER — Staff at a Denver school are coming together to help a cafeteria employee after her home caught fire twice in one week.

    Rose Gianni, who was impacted, said both of the fires were electrical in nature and took place within two days of each other at her mobile home located north of Denver.

    Gianni said the first fire broke out Tuesday while she was at work at Denver Green School (DGS). She said it destroyed a wall. The second fire broke out on Thursday while she was at her damaged home.

    “This is where I live, I’m in shock,” Gianni said. “It’s just so hard, but I’m just hanging in there.”

    Gianni lives at the home with her two cats, who thankfully were not injured.

    When staff at DGS found out what had happened, they immediately stepped in to help.

    Denver7 spoke with Jessica Krichbaum, one of the school principals, and Aleaha Harkins, a music teacher at the school.

    “I came directly to her kitchen the very next morning, not expecting to see her there — and there she was sitting, crying at school, and I said, ‘How can you be here with a giant travesty at your house?’ And she said, ‘Well, these kids need me. I need to make food and feed these children,’” said Harkins. “I think that’s why it really inspired me to do something for her because even experiencing something like a loss in her home, she was willing to put that aside and show up for our kids.”

    Staff at DGS have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help Gianni in her time of need.

    Denver school comes together to help cafeteria worker after fire damages home

    “I was in shock, what they’re doing for me. I appreciate everything they’re doing for me,” said Gianni, while fighting back tears.

    “She shows up every day. She’s helpful to not only the teachers and the school leaders, but the kids and families as well and just helping them navigate different stuff. So we love her. And that’s why I wanted to help her,” Krichbaum said.

    Fundraising efforts are still underway but on Saturday, Krichbaum and Harkins surprised her with $1,000 from their GoFundMe, to start helping her get back on her feet.

    The electricians who came out to her home after the fire have notified her she must rewire the electricity in her entire home if she wishes to stay.

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