On March 24th at 12:30 p.m. the Colorado Springs Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 6299 Armdale Hts. Multiple calls came into dispatch reporting two homes were on fire. While responding, multiple CSFD units reported seeing a large column of smoke, what firefighters refer to as a “header.” When the header was called CSFD personnel advised dispatch to immediately fill out the working structure fire response to send units to the fire. Engine 21 was the first arriving engine on scene at 12:35 p.m. and reported heavy fire and smoke coming from two homes on Armdale Hts.
3 minutes later at 12:38 p.m. a second alarm was called due to the amount of fire and smoke and the fact two homes were involved. At 12:54 p.m. a third alarm was called for the need of additional resources. One engine from Falcon Fire and a Battalion Chief from Black Forest also responded to assist. More than 60 CSFD personnel responded to the scene. Due to a compromised gas line likely caused by the fire, the gas line was feeding the fire making conditions difficult for firefighters to control until the gas was shut off. While firefighters were inside, command notified them of the possibility of roof collapse and ordered all crews to vacate the structures. Due to the eventual roof collapse, firefighters fought the fire defensively and used two aerial ladders to deploy water from above the structures. The fire was deemed under control at 1:27 p.m. There were no injuries reported to community members, pets, or firefighters.
A cat was rescued from one of the homes after the fire was under control. 6 people, a cat, a dog, and several chickens were displaced from the two duplexes involved. CSFD Fire investigators have determined the cause of this fire was accidental due to a heat lamp within a chicken coop igniting combustibles and spreading to a second home. The CSFD wants to remind people that if they have a chicken coop it is important to secure the heat lamp and keep it inaccessible to animals to reduce the risk of an animal bumping the lamp out of place and starting a fire.
All of Dublin Blvd was closed between Vista Del Tierra Dr and Lythmore Grv for an extended period of time while firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. We’d like to thank our partners at the Colorado Springs Police Department for securing the perimeter of the fire and keeping us and the community safe while we worked this incident.