Photos/Story By John T. Carr
At 11:47 a.m., on Tuesday, November 28, 2000 the Aurora, CO., 911 Dispatch Center received the first of numerous calls reporting a fire at 1455 S. Cathay Way. 3 Engines, 1 Truck, the Heavy Rescue and Battalion One were dispatched. The call was received as an attached garage fire.
With the arrival of Engine 10, firefighters found one single family residence fully involved, and heavy fire showing on the side of a second. A second alarm was immediately requested.
Homeowner's at 1455 S. Cathay Way had recently moved into their home. The mother and three of her small children smelled smoke. Investigating, the homeowner found heavy smoke pouring from her attached garage into her kitchen. There was at least one vehicle in the garage. After evacuating her children and calling 911 the homeowner raised the garage door in an attempt to fight the fire.
Heavy winds blowing into the garage turned the garage into an inferno. The wind fanned flames quickly spread to the interior of the home and also began impinging on the exterior of her neighbor's house.
By the time the first apparatus arrived 1455 S Cathay was well involved. Fire had also extended from the siding of 1465 S. Cathay into the second floor and attic. Fire crews were divided into two divisions. One attempted to control the fire in the original fire building while the second division began an aggressive interior attack into the exposure.
It took firefighters from 6 engines, 2 trucks, and the heavy rescue more than an hour to control the blaze. 10 people in both houses were left homeless. The original fire building was a total loss while damage to the exposure was extensive. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Aurora Fire Department investigators.
