Firefighters with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District responded to two separate fires within a 12-hour period Wednesday night and Thursday morning, working in strong winds to contain both incidents without injuries.
And if that wasn’t enough work, winds gusting to as much as 90 mph took down a 50-foot spruce tree at the fire house Friday morning. The enormous tree landed on the roof and blocked the west entrance to the station. The damage appeared to be minimal and was mainly contained to the gutter and metal roof.
The tree, which was situated behind the flagpoles, appears to have been planted sometime after the building was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1996, because it is not seen in photos from the open day ceremony when the U.S. flag was raised above the new firehouse.
The first fire call came at 3:14 a.m. Thursday from The Estes Park Resort, 1616 Colorado Peaks Dr., where staff had reported a smoldering fire in a pavilion restroom building that had initially been extinguished by resort employees.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered an active fire burning inside the walls and attic of the one-story restroom structure within the resort’s pavilion complex. Crews worked to extinguish the fire and opened portions of the ceiling and walls to eliminate hidden hot spots.
The fire was contained to the restroom building and did not spread to other structures in the resort complex. This was the second fire in a resort over the past two weeks. A two-alarm fire broke out at Expedition Lodge, 1701 N Lake Ave., around 8:30 on Friday, February 27. The investigation report about the cause of that fire is still pending.
The EVFPD responded to Wednesday night’s fire with two engines, one ladder truck, a command officer, and 14 personnel. A Glen Haven Fire Department engine with four firefighters provided mutual aid.
No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported, although crews worked in strong winds during the operation. The cause of the fire was determined to be discarded smoking materials, and the extent of the damage has not yet been determined. Fire units cleared the scene at 8:08 a.m.
Just over an hour later, firefighters responded to a second incident at 9:45 a.m. Thursday. The Estes Park Police Dispatch Center received reports of smoke near Fish Creek Road and Johnsen Lane. A fire district command officer returning from another call investigated and located a smoldering wildfire about one mile east of Fish Creek Road on Johnson Lane.
The fire appeared to have originated in previously burned slash piles that had been burned earlier, when snow was on the ground.
The district responded with a Type 6 brush engine, a Type 3 wildfire engine, a water tender, and 12 personnel. Larimer County Emergency Services and Rocky Mountain National Park were notified and began mobilizing resources, though their crews were ultimately not needed.
Firefighters contained the blaze to about 500 square feet with no damage beyond the original burn area. As with the Wednesday night fire, crews worked under strong wind conditions. No injuries were reported, and the EVFPD units cleared the scene at 11:46 a.m.
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