Fire completely destroys home in Fort Collins. (Credit: Poudre Fire Authority)
Fire completely destroys home in Fort Collins. (Credit: Poudre Fire Authority)
Fire completely destroys home in Fort Collins. (Credit: Poudre Fire Authority)
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Photo courtesy of Matt Sanders.
Fire completely destroys home in Fort Collins. (Credit: Poudre Fire Authority)
PHOTOS: Fire destroys home in Fort Collins
Poudre Fire Public Information Officer Patrick Love says the fire started in the 4700 block of Trails End at 11:35 p.m. Monday night.
"Even though you see a few parts of the residence itself still standing, it will have to be torn down - what's left of it - and rebuilt," Love said.
Crews say the home is roughly 5,000 square-feet and sits in a challenging location. Firefighters say they had a hard time getting to the blaze because an incorrect address was reported, and there were no hydrants in the area. A tender shuttle was used for a water source.
About a dozen calls came in to the 911 center in Fort Collins when the fire broke out. All of the callers gave vague descriptions of the area.
"This particular fire we had multiple callers. However, no one knew the exact location. We were never given an exact address to this fire," Love said.
Love says it's important for callers to know their area well.
"Area as far as what are the major roads, the landmarks and any possible buildings that might describe where they are," he said.
One person was able to get out of the home safely and a dog and two cats were found alive. Fire crews say no one is unaccounted for at this time, but the cause is under investigation.
Still, the homeowner - who didn't want to give 9NEWS her name or speak on camera - said her six-pound black cat with a white spot hadn't yet been found. She said she and her family were gone when the fire started. A house sitter was at home with the pets.
Conditions for fighting the fire were far from ideal. The narrow, winding dirt road up to the property was unlit and covered in some areas with ice and snow.
One firefighter suffered non life-threatening injuries when he slipped on the ice and fell. He was treated and released.
Despite the damage, everybody involved says it's fortunate that nobody was seriously hurt or killed as a result of the blaze.
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