Apartment Complex Fire Being Investigated

Click to enlarge photos – Photos by Russ Baldwin

Investigators have been sifting through the debris left by Monday’s apartment complex fire at 801 South 13th Street in Lamar. The complex is owned by Grover Management in Denver and managed by Anthony LaTour of Lamar.

The fire alarm was called at 1:29pm and before the fire was extinguished, several departments had been called out including the Lamar Fire Department, Prowers County Rural Fire, as well as units from Wiley, Holly and Granada, plus the Lamar Police Department and local EMT responders. Although there were no direct injuries from the fire, several firefighters were treated at the scene due to heat and smoke exposure and one firefighter was treated at PMC for heat exhaustion.

The fire is believed to have started in an, “exterior balcony, unenclosed porch” on the east side of the northern most apartment complex, which housed four families, although only the opposite apartments were occupied. The fire department report stated that the material first ignited was “sawn wood” from an exterior wall covering or finish. A portion of the roof was cut away allowing water to be directed into the attic portion of the complex. This was a common attic, shared by all the apartment units. The east side garage was also severely damaged from the fire and hoses, containing numerous boxes of papers and documents.

LaTour said two families were impacted by the fire and he is working to help them relocate. The other renters are still on site. Regarding the material that is believed to have caused the fire, LaTour said he wasn’t aware of any construction work being done at the complex.

by Russ Baldwin