Dozen Evacuated from Colorado Apartment Fire

A fire broke Thanksgiving morning in an apartment complex off West 72nd Avenue and Federal in Westminster, displacing at least 30 people. The residents will be kept from their units until at least Monday, according to the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter. Five people were transported to the hospital, four with smoke inhalation and one with a back injury received in a fall. The cause of the fire, which was first reported at 3:45 a.m., remains under investigation. Investigators concluded that the fire started in a first-floor bedroom and quickly spread to the second floor. Firefighters did not have an estimate on the damage. The apartment where the fire started was a total loss, said Deputy Fire Marshal Doug Hall said. "It's unfortunate for this to happen on any day but particularly on Thanksgiving Day, at the start of a four-day holiday," Hall said. "It creates a lot of uncertainty for people." He said most of the residents were staying with friends and family. The American Red Cross was helping other victims find lodging, Hall said.