Investigators search for cause after historic building burns

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ESTES PARK - After nearly six hours of battling a downtown inferno, fire crews were only putting out hot spots on Monday afternoon after the blaze consumed the historic Park Theatre Mall. Investigators were on scene trying to determine what sparked the fire.

The actual Park Theatre, a historic building which sits next to the mall, was spared by the fire, according to the Estes Park Police.

The mall itself, which houses seven small stores and was originally a carriage house and livery, was left in complete ruins. A section of the roof collapsed and what remained was covered in debris and water.

Power was cut to the immediate area while firefighters doused water on the fire. It was restored later in the day.

No one was injured, according to police.

The call came in just after 6 a.m. and the fire was contained by noon.

"We are very grateful for the prompt response of the Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department, which helped minimize the spread of the fire," Mayor Bill Pinkham said in a news release. "This incident demonstrates the importance of having a properly trained, dedicated, and well-equipped fire department. It was fortunate that the weather cooperated and we did not have high winds."

"We also appreciate the cooperation and support of our neighboring agencies who pitched in during this critical time," Pinkham added.

The winds actually played a key role in the battle, pushing the flames and smoke north and away from the theatre. Fire crews expect the mop up to continue throughout the day.

Police say if there had been high winds, it could have spread the flames quickly to other buildings, similar to a wildfire.

Members with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are helping to investigate the cause of the fire. They will begin their investigation on Tuesday. Local police says the ATF responded because it's a good example of a training exercise for them but there is nothing suspicious.

Park Theater Mall is located on East Elkhorn Avenue near Moraine Avenue. It was not immediately known which specific businesses were forced to evacuate and which ones were destroyed.

"There was for sure a little Christmas store, there was a little snack deli bar, there was like, just regular gift stores with figurines, and there was a music box shop there, you know just small town gift shops," Shannon DeJaynes, an eyewitness, said.

Pinkham says the fire will have a troubling economic impact.

"If a shop goes out of business, it's not good. To have a whole group of shops that get burned out of business, I mean, that's terrible. So, it's a big loss," Pinkham said. "The 14ers Café was over in the other side of the building from where we're standing, and that was a great place for people to go for coffee, ice cream, sandwiches and so forth, popular place. So, he's lost everything."

Estes Park Police says nine businesses were in the mall.

At least four fire departments responded to the blaze, including departments from Pinewood, Glen Haven, Loveland and Allens Park. One fire engine that helped out was an older, restored model.

Because the building was so old, firefighters could not get on the roof to help contain the fire.

"It's a really sad day in Estes Park, unfortunately," Kris Hazleton of the Estes Park News said. "I've talked to several of the business owners who are just devastated, a couple of them in tears. It's very sad because their family business went up in flames and is gone now."

Hazleton says some businesses, however, were already seeking new locations so they can take items out of storage and restart their businesses.

"We're a tight-knit town here. Everybody watches out for everybody else, so I think we'll survive this," Hazleton said.

Only a few hours earlier, the flames were raging out of control, fueled by winds and threatening other structures.

"It's still really bad, there's huge flames still coming out of the Park Theatre Mall historic building, the flames have reached the front of the Park Theatre Mall building, which is on the Elkhorn side, which is our very downtown," Hazleton told 9NEWS around 9 a.m. "So the fear is there since the wind's picked up, the fire is going to spread to different buildings in the downtown area."

Hazleton says they heard quite a few pops and she learned there was a backdraft issue in the front of the building, in addition to the huge flames coming out of the top.

"A weather system came through too and it rained a little bit, but now the rain has stopped. It's really dark, and our business is on the other side of town and everyone in our place of business says it's just dark and smoky on the other side of town, big plumes of smoke going way high up in the air, it's amazing," Hazleton said around 9 a.m..

A café owner who works at a shopping center that overlooks town told 9NEWS the smoke looked like it was turning more of a gray color, from his vantage, during the 9 a.m. hour.

"This morning, when we came in about 6 o'clock, my wife mentioned that she could smell a fireplace, which was a little bit unusual, and then a few minutes after that, I heard the fire engines going toward downtown and I knew we had a problem," Ron Shadows, the owner of Notchtop Bakery and Café, said.

He says when the Loveland Fire Department arrived, it was a big boost to the effort because the Estes Park Fire Department mainly consists of volunteers.

"When they first tried to access through the roof - I was talking to the mayor who happened to be here in the cafe - and he was telling me they were having difficulty because the roof is mostly a metal roof so the firemen weren't able to access the attic, where the fire was traveling, as easy as they would have liked," Shadows said. "There doesn't seem to be any fire separation between the different little shops that are in the mall, and no sprinkler systems at all."

With the fire burning across town, Shadows says his café started to become a gathering place, of sorts.

"Well, a lot of the people have come in here," Shadows said. "We're kind of full with people talking about the issue, but I haven't talked to any of the shop owners who are actually involved."

Several 9NEWS viewers reported heavy smoke in the area.

"It looks to me, when I was up there, that the fire is moving to the north and to the west, of course the wind is helping to carry it that way," Kevin Bemis, an eyewitness, said.

"I live right by where this is taking place and I heard the sirens around 6:20 this morning," DeJaynes said. "And then, on my way to work, I decided to go see what it was, and I was able to get into the post office parking lot and take really close up shots of the fire and the flames.

"I work at the medical center, so we're hearing the minute-by-minute reports of what's going on," DeJaynes continued. "We have an ambulance standing by, but I don't think there was anybody hurt in the whole fire situation."

When asked if the smoke makes it seem like night, DeJaynes responded, "It does, you know, they're obviously wanting everyone to stay inside, but yeah, it's really dark and it's just an unfortunate situation because this is one of our last historic buildings."

The Park Theater had been closed for the season. It was set to reopen in May 2010 for its 97th season. The Park Theater is the oldest theatre west of the Mississippi and over the last year, money was spent to renovate the building with new paint, new lobby plaster and new Dolby digital surround sound.

The theater, originally constructed in 1913 by J. L. Jackson, was placed on National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

When it was first built, the building that became the mall was used as a livery for horses.

Linda Chapman, superintendent of R-3 schools, says school officials were taking precautions because of the blaze.

"We've called what we call a 'code yellow,' and we have everybody inside," Chapman said. "We've shut the outside air intake down, as well as our buildings for the time being."

Chapman says the code yellow was lifted shortly after noon, and students were allowed outside, however, students with respiratory issues were advised to take caution.

Earlier, Chapman told teachers some students would be late as buses were rerouted and also said parents would be notified of any new information if appropriate.

Authorities shut down Elkhorn Avenue in downtown Estes Park between US 34 and US 36 on the east and Spruce Drive on the west while they battle the fire. Detours have been set up to get to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Park officials say the smoke is not affecting the national park.

"Winter is tough enough up here, without having something like this happen," Shadows said.