A fatal fire that ravaged the Ivy Crossing Apartments was deliberately set, South Metro Fire Rescue and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office investigators announced Wednesday.
One person died and two were hospitalized in the fire on April 8 and 23 residents were displaced from the apartments at 2380 S. Quebec St. in unincorporated Arapahoe County.
“Somebody caused this fire to start. We don’t know why,” or how, South Metro spokesman Eric Hurst said.
Responding to a call before dawn, firefighters and Arapahoe County Sheriff deputies arrived and saw flames consuming second and third-floor hallways and stairwells with building occupants trapped inside. Some residents jumped to escape. Firefighters helped others off balconies using ladders before pulling hoses inside the building and extinguishing flames — and then searching for trapped people.
They found two. One person died, who has not yet been identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner. The second was rushed in critical condition to a hospital and survived. Two residents from a nearby building who inhaled smoke while alerting neighbors also were hospitalized.
Two South Metro firefighters suffered minor injuries.
On Wednesday, South Metro Fire officials noted that just over a year ago, on March 1, 2022, another human-caused fire broke out in the Ivy Crossing apartments complex.
“It is unknown if these fires are related,” agency officials said in a posting on Twitter.
Officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person responsible for either fire. Anyone with information can call 877-892-7766 and can remain anonymous.
Months before the April 8 fire, a separate South Metro Fire inspection found multiple fire safety code violations at the Ivy Crossing Apartments, according to reporting by Denver7. The violations included a lack of manual fire alarms, substandard fire extinguishers, fire doors that wouldn’t latch securely, and excessive combustible material in storage.
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