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New apartment complex being built at site of 2018 construction fire

The raging three-alarm fire at an under-construction apartment complex took the lives of two workers.

DENVER — A new apartment building will go up at the site of construction fire that killed two men last year. 

The Emerson Place Apartments were under construction in March 2018, when exposed wood caught fire. 

RELATED: Cause of deadly construction site fire still 'undetermined'

RELATED: Body found in debris of massive construction fire near downtown Denver

The same management company, Allante Properties, still owns the site at Emerson Street and East 18th Avenue. This week they confirmed a new apartment complex will take its place. 

The company doesn't have a timeline yet, but said the concept should be public "within weeks". 

Construction on the site first began in 2017. The Emerson Place Apartments was designed to be a five-story building with 85 separate units.

Just after noon on March 7, some of the 61 construction workers on the site reported smoke, Denver fire Capt. Greg Pixley said, and a superintendent ran into the building to investigate. He was met by significant smoke traveling down a stairwell on the third floor of the building, which included a first-floor constructed of concrete and four upper floors that were wood-framed.

RELATED: Demolition crew starts to remove what's left of burnt construction site in Denver

RELATED: 'I'm so sorry for this tragedy:' Developer speaks after Emerson fire

The heat drove the superintendent back, and efforts began to evacuate the building. Some workers jumped or fell from the second and third floors to escape the flames and several suffered injuries. In the chaos, bystanders rushed to help workers fleeing the building.

The flames advanced quickly – shooting high into the air and fueling a plume of smoke that could be seen from miles away.

The fire grew so intense that it damaged seven nearby buildings – destroying one – and charred 45 vehicles parked in the surrounding area.

By the time firefighters extinguished the flames, the four upper floors were effectively one charred heap.

The two construction workers who died in the blaze – Roberto Flores Prieto, 29, and Dustin Peterson, 37 – both succumbed to smoke inhalation.

RELATED: Names of Emerson Street fire victims released

The Denver Fire Department still doesn't know what caused the fire.

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