A Montezuma County family lost almost everything in a house fire early Sunday morning.
Mancos Fire District Chief Tony Aspromonte said four vehicles and eight firefighters were on scene on Road J.8, north of Mesa Verde National Park, just before 7 a.m. Sunday. The Cortez Fire District dispatched a truck and three firefighters, he said. All four people who were in the house got out safely with no injuries, but the house sustained heavy damage, he said.
“The contents of the home are a complete loss,” Aspromonte said.
Crews were on scene fighting the fire for more than four hours, he said.
A fundraising page has been set up to help the family with costs to replace household items lost in the fire.
Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Hill, who responded to the scene, wrote in a press report that the fire started near the front of the residence. No one in the residence knew how the fire started and did not suspected anyone started it purposefully, according to the report. An investigation showed that the fire was possibly accidental, the report states.
Some used ashes from a wood stove, which was inside the residence, were observed in the front area of the home, according to the report. Aspromonte said it’s possible the ashes may have been involved in the fire.
“Those ashes coming out of a stove will stay hot for several days,” Aspromonte said. “We recommend people put them in a metal can for five to seven days to let them cool off.”