One person died, two community members and three firefighters were injured at an early morning apartment fire in Arapahoe County.
At 4 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, 2023, numerous 911 callers reported hallways filled with smoke and flames at Ivy Crossing, located at 2380 S. Quebec Street. Many residents were trapped inside their apartments which forced some people to jump out windows. Firefighters assigned to Engine 21 could see flames as they responded from their fire station 2 miles away and a 2nd Alarm was called.
Upon arrival, Arapahoe County Sheriff Deputies and Firefighters immediately began assisting residents to safety. While Engine 21 began fire attack, Medic 21 rescued residents trapped on balconies. Flames had already consumed the entire 2nd and 3rd floor hallways, both stairwells and extended into multiple apartments. Crews encountered extreme heat as they pushed through the building with hose lines searching for people trapped.
During the primary search, a victim was located by firefighters and removed from the building, tragically that person died. Two other people were transported to the hospital, one in critical condition and one in serious condition. Approximately 80 personnel from South Metro,
Aurora Fire Rescue and
Denver Fire Department worked for over 2-hours to bring the incident under control.
Due to the age of building construction, this apartment complex is not equipped with fire sprinklers. Prior to this fire, the SMFR Fire Marshal’s Office has been working with property management to retrofit full-building alarm systems for better notification to residents when a fire occurs.
Extensive work continues on scene this morning as firefighters search for and extinguish hot spots. During overhaul operations a few hours into the incident, three firefighters sustained minor injuries and they were both transported to the hospital. The SMFR Fire Marshal’s Office and
Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office are actively working on an investigation into what caused the fire.
Thank you to
Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, Inc. and
Denver Police Department for assisting.
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