An explosion rocked Stephen Dunne's Saturday morning.
“I was working, minding my own business, about to start watching the golf, then I heard a loud explosion,” he said. “I stepped outside and it was a raging propane tank fire, just shooting up. And then it went from that to the entire backyard.”
Dunne's wife had taken the car, which otherwise would be parked right in the center of the blaze. He called 911, then fled his rented Sunnyside accessory dwelling unit near 39th Avenue and Clay Street, joining a growing crowd of neighbors gathering to see the commotion. The smoke plume could be seen across the city.
Dunne said the fire started in a yard next to his, though his home eventually caught fire, too. Denver firefighters arrived a few minutes after he called 911 at 11:45. They’d spend the next hour pouring water over nearby structures and punching holes in his roof to ensure no more damage was done.
Denver Fire public information officer JD Chism said nine structures were impacted, though six of them were "outbuildings," like sheds or garages. No civilians were hurt, though he said a firefighter did need to be treated for smoke inhalation. Chism said about 75 firefighters were on site for this "two-alarm" emergency, and that the blaze's cause is still being investigated.
Dunne said he was grateful firefighters showed up so quickly and that nobody was hurt.
“It was not a calm situation,” he said.
Note: This story was updated once Denver Fire had more information to share. We originally reported that two habitable structures were impacted; that went up to three after DFD's update.
