Colo. Fire Kills Three; Cops Search for Person of-Interest
Source The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
Nov. 28--RYE -- Pueblo County sheriff's deputies were searching Wednesday evening for a person of-interest after three people were confirmed dead in a burning house on Colorado 165 in this mountain community.
Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor said the identities, gender and cause of death of the victims could not be determined until investigators could enter the home on the 8200 block of Colorado 165 and remove the bodies.
Deputies were looking for a handyman who had been living at the home until last week, Taylor said.
The man was identified through communication on the police scanner as Harry Mapp, 59. He was reported to be driving a blue Chrysler Town and Country minivan with Texas license plates. He is described as 6-feet tall, 135 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes.
Arson investigators with the sheriff's department and Colorado Bureau of Investigations are expected to search the home today to determine the cause and origin of the fire and to remove the bodies, Taylor said.
The fire was reported about 10 a.m. after motorists saw smoke billowing from the windows of the home, located about a half-mile north of Rye High School.
When firefighters entered the home, they found two bodies in one bedroom of the home and a third body in a separate bedroom before they were forced out of the home because of dense smoke, according to Taylor.
He said it was unknown whether there were any other people in the home.
Three children reportedly living in the home were staying with relatives in Pueblo, Taylor said.
A Flight for Life helicopter responded to the scene but left without any victims.
Two dogs survived the fire and were taken by animal control.
The fire burned for several hours and at one point, firefighters had to retreat from fighting the fire after ammunition exploded in the basement of the home, Taylor said.
Complicating firefighting efforts was the lack of accessible water. Fire crews from Rye, Beulah, West Park, Pueblo West Metro and Pueblo County sheriff's emergency services responded to the blaze with various firefighting equipment and trucks.
Crews battled the blaze for several hours.
Thick smoke from the blaze could be seen from Interstate 25, just south of Pueblo.
A 6-mile stretch of Colorado 165 was closed for several hours while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Traffic was rerouted through Old San Isabel Road.
Copyright 2013 - The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
