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DURANGO, CO - A plumber’s torch may be responsible for causing a fire that heavily damaged two condominium units at the Durango Mountain Resort (formally the Purgatory Ski Area).

On March 6th, 2008 at approximately 4:51 pm, units from the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority (DFRA) were dispatched to the 49,000 block of Highway 550 for a report of a structure fire. Initial reports from dispatch indicated that fire and smoke were seen coming from a condo complex. First arriving units were confronted with a well developed fire that was extending into an attached unit.

Firefighters also had to deal with some of the problems inherent to fighting structure fires that occur within a mountain resort area, including narrow access roads, crammed buildings, and banks of snow left over from recent storms. The Edelweiss Condominiums are located on Sheol Street within the resort and it appears that the fire started in a vacant end unit that plumbers were working in. A number of attempts to control the fire with extinguishers were made prior to fire department notification.

At approximately 5:04 pm, DFRA Battalion Chief Mick Stowers struck a second alarm and initiated a recall of all off-duty firefighters. DFRA personnel mounted a hard-hitting defensive fire attack that resulted in stopping the forward progress of the fire. The incident was brought under control by 7:00 hours. This was the second multi-alarm fire for DFRA’s “C” Shift, who fought a major downtown fire less than two weeks ago. The actions of the firefighters at this incident averted what could have been the loss of the entire building.