A $3 million home at Mill Creek Estates on the south side of Coal Bank Pass was destroyed in a fire Wednesday morning, June 25. Fire officials were trying to confirm that no one was in the home at the time.
The blaze at the two-level log home was reported at about 6:30 a.m., said Durango Fire Rescue spokesman Dave Abercrombie, who was at the scene. He said the home’s owners were reportedly camping in the Chicago Basin area and the Forest Service was trying to contact them.
Firefighters were still working to put out the fire late Wednesday morning and had not had a chance to go inside.
“We have no idea on the cause or origin at this time,” Abercrombie said.
Some 40 firefighters from Durango and Silverton battled the blaze.
The subdivision is served by hydrants fed by a 90,000-gallon storage tank. But Abercrombie said that for some reason, the pumps that refill the tank did not turn on as water ran low.
“It has been a challenge,” Abercrombie said. “We ran out of water in the hydrant quickly.”
Tanker trucks were supplying water to the scene and by late Wednesday morning, Abercrombie said “we’re caught up with water.”