The Denver Channel
DENVER -- Firefighters on Wednesday battled a large blaze that engulfed and destroyed a motorcycle business in west Denver.
The two-alarm fire broke out at Fay Myers Motorcycle World at Alameda and Tejon just before 8 a.m. and was contained at about 11 a.m., 7NEWS reported.
Although most of the flames are out, firefighters still consider the building unsafe because of its numerous hotspots and unstable structure.
No injuries are reported.
Earlier, the frigid air suppressed the intense smoke and made it so thick and heavy inside the buiding that firefighters were pulled out for their own safety.
"We're going to have to get all the fire out, and then we're going to have to be real meticulous on going in there and making sure that the structure is safe enough to enter," Denver Police Lt. Kevin Duncan told 7NEWS.
Employees and customers of Fay Myers stood across the street in shock, 7NEWS reported.
"I came around the ... supermarket and I saw the smoke and thought, 'Oh, God, it's gone.' The place is gone, " Fay Myers employee D.J. Hite said. "What a way to start the new year."
The 53-year-old business -- one of the largest motorcycle shops in the state -- is considered a complete loss. Employees said that about 600 motorcycles were inside, and about $10 million worth of parts were stored in a 7,000-square-foot section of the building.
"This is where the revenue from all the business comes from, and that was the showroom," employee Jason Haines said, pointing to the charred remnants of the storefront.
"It's been here a long time, been here an awful long time," employee James Day said. "What a surprise."
Black smoke, caused from the burning of tires and fueled by gasoline, was seen billowing out of the building from miles away. It drifted into downtown Denver, blanketing the skyline with a thick gray cloud. The smoke and soot from the fire raised concerns about the air quality and visibility downwind from the blaze.
Officials from the state's air quality monitoring board told 7NEWS that there may have been toxic elements released in the smoke.
An older man, breathing with the help of oxygen, fled the housing community that he had lived in because it was just north of the fire, 7NEWS reported. He was led out of the building by daughter.
"I'm concerned more about my dad because he's on oxygen 24-7," Donna Sheets said. "And I'm thinking now I'm taking him out of here because they're not sure if that's going to blow."
RTD had a bus on standby for other residents of Denver Housing Authority's Columbine community, in case they needed to be evacuated, but it was not needed 7NEWS reported. Power was shut from the community for a few hours so that firefighters could get in and tackle the fire.
Valverde Elementary School is across the street from the Fay Myers, but the massive plumes of smoke were blown away from the school, so no evacuations were needed. Other than parents dropping off and picking up their children at Valverde Elementary, traffic on Alameda Avenue between Tejon and Yuma has been blocked off.
Arson investigators are at the scene.
The cause of the fire and the damage estimate are unknown at this time.
Besides motorcycles, Fay Myers Motorcycles also sells ATVs, watercraft, and motorcycle apparel.
