A house fire on County Road 32 in Mancos is still under investigation.
According to Shawn Bittle, assistant fire chief of the Cortez Fire Protection District, the point of origin was the kitchen, but most of the fire was extinguished by the time crews arrived.
The homeowner returned from taking her dog on a walk, opened the door and was hit with smoke. She immediately closed the door and called 911.
“One thing that saved her house is that when she closed the door and kept the oxygen from feeding the fire,” Bittle said. “It was such an air tight structure that the fire ran out of oxygen and extinguished itself.”
The Cortez , Mancos and Dolores fire departments responded to the scene.
Crews entered and found heavy fire damage throughout the kitchen and heat and smoke damage throughout the house.
“We basically pulled in, and after the fire is knocked down, we have to do what we call overhaul and make are there is no hidden fire there,” Bittle said.
No one was injured in the fire.
