MISSOULA - 1943

On New Year's Day 1942, fire tore through a swath of downtown Miussoula, Montana - destroying the Shaphard Hotel, Gamble Stores and Yandt's Men's Wear. Flames brought down the hotel roof. Note the limited number of hose lines in these photographs.

PUEBLO WAREHOUSE - 2007

Photo: Pueblo Fire Museum

On Oct. 23, 2007, flames shooting 50 feet into the sky destroyed the abandoned Pueblo Storage Warehouse.

A passerby stopped at Fire Station No.1 just after midnight to sound the alarm, which brought 10 engines and aerial ladders to the scene. The blaze was contained at about 2:50 a.m.  The roof and second-story floor collapsed.

The ice house at 205 West Elizabeth Street had been condemned three years earlier but transients used it for shelter.

The Chieftain newspaper reported:

"It was not the building’s first brush with disaster.

"Formerly known as Mountain Ice and Coal Co. - founded in 1896 - an empty 100-gallon water heater exploded and ruptured an ammonia pipe in February 1980.

"Lynn L. Belcher, 81, the company’s former president of 40 years, died from injuries sustained in the explosion.

"A police sergeant and Pueblo Chieftain sports writer Mike Spence were hospitalized when an ammonia cloud swept through the Midtown Shopping Center, forcing a nine-block evacuation.

"In 1908, the building burned and was quickly restored; no injuries were reported."

RUNS & WORKERS

Photo: Greely Fire Department
The Greeley Fire Department battled a ferocious blaze at seed company during February 2006 blizzard.

Photo: Gary C. Chancey, USDA Forest Service 
Firefighter Seth Tuuri, of the Black Hills National Forest Bearlodge Ranger District, battles a structure fire near Aladdin, Wyoming, in 2004.

"Colorado Springs, July 19th. At 3 o’clock this morning lightning struck the beautiful Broadmoor Casino, near Cheyenne canon, starting fire which completely destroyed the building, and causing a loss of nearly $50,000. The magnificent new hotel adjoining was saved. The building was erected six years ago. It was two stories high, two hundred feet long and seventy-five feet deep." - Grand Junction Sentinel - July 1897

Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA
Four Mile Fire District apparatus mopping up at the Old Stage Fire near Boulder, Colorado, on Jan. 8, 2009. The International WorkStar tanker was acquired through a FEMA grant.

On Aug. 21, 1965, fire struck the A. J. Anderson Lumber Co. yard in Fort Collins, causing extensive damage. The Fort Collins Fire Department sent four rigs, including its snorkel. Mutual aid responded from LaPorte. LeRoy Beers, acting fire chief, was in command. 

DENVER STOCKYARDS - 1921

Photo: Denver Public Library 

Fire Engineering
Oct. 1, 1921

Denver, Colo.—A fire at the Denver stock yards, July 11th, brought forth the appeals of a special alarm. However, later events proved that this was done for precautionary measures and not because of any necessity.

The cattle became frantic, the same as you and I would, if flames were creeping upon us from behind, and the poor things bellowed piteously.

The fire laddies succeeded in opening the pens, and then the animals stampeded, as was expected, but to enable the men to work upon the fire it was necessary to drive the cattle out of the way and that was done by playing several streams of water upon them.

During the time necessary to do this, Fire Chief John Healy sent the special alarm and later on he said:

“I thought when I first saw the fire that it was going to sweep the whole yards. Because of the struggling and bellowing cattle, it gave us one of the hardest fights I have ever participated in. I believe that the firse started from a cigar or a match dropped from the run-away over the pen.”

Owing to the splendid work of the fire department, only four of the dumb beasts were destroyed and the loss it is stated may be covered by five thousand dollars.

Anyone caught smoking in such a place ought to be soused in a hog trough.

HUNGARIAN MILLS - 1908

On Oct. 21, 1908, fire destroyed a five-story grain elevator at the Hungarian Mills at Seventh Street and Wazee streets in Denver's lower downtown.

The plant was named for a milling process developed in Hungary.

Flames were beyond the reach of Denver Fire Department hose lines and roared out of control for an hour, according to the Herald Democrat of Leadville. "The height of the building made it difficult to throw water to the top," the newspaper said.

As the mill burned, the office staff rescued the books and workers struggled to save anything that wasn't nailed down.

The Nov. 25, 1908 edition of Fire Engineering magazine said:

"When Chief T. F. Owens and the department arrived on the scene, they found that the fire, which had been set in the wagon shed and had spread thence to the bottom of an air-flue, was blazing furiously. It had made its way up the flue and involved 75 ft. of the roof."

The magazine said the bulk of the city's fire apparatus responded:

"The alarm brought to the spot six engines a Continental, a Silsby, an American LaFrance and 3 Metropolitan — with, of course, hose wagons and aerial and other trucks.

"The apparatus kept throwing continuously nineteen streams (four being hydrant) through 7,750 ft. of cotton, rubber-lined hose, which was of such first rate quality that it withstood the heavy strain on it for so long a time without one single length showing the slightest sign of weakness.

"Besides the ordinary 1 1/4-in. nozzles used, there were also brought to bear upon the flames streams from an Eastman Deluge set and two Hart nozzles ... the water supply is gravity, furnished by the Denver Union Waterworks company."

Fire also visited the Hungarian Mills on March 7, 1899, "rendering nearly valueless 500 bushels of wheat," the Leadville Herald Democrat reported. The fire originated in a dust room. "The work of the firemen was retarded by frozen water pipes," the newspaper said.

Fires also struck the Hungarian Mills on Nov. 21, 1930, April 27, 1943, Dec. 21, 1949 and Oct. 26, 1952.   

STORM KING - 1994

On July 6, 1994, the Storm King Mountain wildfire claimed the lives of 14 forest service firefighters - the greatest loss of life in Colorado fire service history.

Lightning touched off the blaze two days earlier. Shifting winds fanned flames that trapped the firefighters.

Here are the details:

Glenwood Springs, Colo. (AP) - A swift wildfire whipped by high winds roared over a steep mountainside, trapping 50 firefighters. Twelve were killed and two were missing today in one of the country's deadliest such disasters.

The firefighters were trapped Wednesday about 7,000 feet up the rugged slope of Storm King Mountain, where the rough terrain left them no place to flee, said Garfield County Undersheriff Levy Burris.

The survivors escaped to burned-over ground where the fire could not take hold, then straggled out when the danger passed, Gov. Roy Romer said at a news conference Wednesday night.

This morning, he said the initial count of 11 dead had risen to 12, and two firefighters were still missing.

"The search will begin just as soon as daylight arrives," Romer said. "It just reminds us all of the great tragedy that can occur when you're dealing with fire," he said.

He said the families of the firefighters had not been notified because the victims had not been positively identified.

Romer called for an investigation to determine why so many lives were lost. Weather forecasters had predicted high winds, but firefighters were left in the field.

Fire officials said some of the victims apparently had tried to climb into their fire-shelters, shiny blankets used as shields during flare-ups.

The lightning-sparked fire began Sunday, five miles west of Glenwood Springs. The mountain resort of 6,000 people is between Aspen and Vail about 180 miles west of Denver.

The fire had been confined to 50 acres until high winds fanned it out of control Wednesday afternoon. Within five hours, it grew to 2,000 acres.

_____


From U.S. Fire Administration

On July 6, fourteen wildland firefighters lost their lives when a wind shift resulted in a blow-up fire condition that trapped them on the uphill and downwind position from the fire on Storm King Mountain, Colorado.

The fourteen firefighters included smokejumpers Don Mackey, Roger Roth, and James Thrash; Prineville Hot Shots John Kelso, Kathi Beck, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Tami Bickett, Doug Dunbar, and Terri Hagen; and helitack crew members Richard Tyler and Robert Browning.

Browning and Tyler were killed when their escape route was cut off by a large drop and they were overrun by the fire.

The other firefighters were killed as they moved towards the ridge line to escape the fire advancing towards them from below.

According to witness accounts, the firefighters were unable to see how dangerous their position had become because of a small ridge below them.

They had been moving slowly and were still carrying their equipment as the fire blew up behind them to a height of over 100 feet.

At this point the crew dropped their tools and made an uphill dash for the top of the mountain but only one person made it over to survive.

The fire overran the remaining twelve firefighters and reportedly reached a height of 200 to 300 feet as it crossed over the ridge.

It was estimated to be moving at between 10 and 20 miles per hour at the time of the blow-up.

Several other firefighters in various other locations on the mountain became trapped by the flames but were able to make it to safe positions or deploy their emergency shelters.

Post incident investigations have determined that the crews fighting the fire violated many safety procedures and standard firefighting orders.

RUNS & WORKERS

Aerial ladder 1975 fire

Major fires visited the grungy West Hotel at 1337 California St. in Denver in 1975 and 1982. On Dec. 30, 1975, flames damaged the fourth floor, top. The April 14, 1982 fire injured about a dozen people.

Photo: Brighton Fire Rescue

Photo: Brighton Fire Rescue

On Feb. 8, 2019, flames destroyed the abandoned Arthur Grain Mill on Main Street in Brighton. A squatter's cigarette caused the blaze, investigators said.

Photo: Brighton Fire Rescue

On July 31, 2019, Brighton firefighters battled flames at the vacant Robb's Inc. store with exterior lines after a floor collapse. A firefighter was injured.

Photo: Brighton Fire Rescue
On June 2, 2017, a fire destroyed a commercial building on North Main Street in Brighton, Colorado.

MONTROSE - 1895

"Montrose, Colo., May 10. - C. T. NEHRBRAS, agent for the Deering Machine company of Chicago, lost his life in a fire which destroyed the Arlington hotel. His charred remains have been found in the ruins. MRS. E. H. SMITH, proprietress of the hotel, escaped by jumping from a second story window, but is in a precarious condition from cuts and burns. The house was nearly full of guests, several of whom sustained burns and wounds." - Waterloo Courier, Iowa, May 15, 1895