Unattended fire pit causes 2 more house fires in Centennial

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Firefighters put out two house fires on Tuesday morning that investigators believe were caused by an unattended fire pit in a Centennial yard.

South Metro Fire Rescue responded to a house fire on East Fair Court in Centennial and found another house on fire due to exposure. The Fire Marshal’s Office initially determined that an unattended fire pit placed near a wood fence and a pile of firewood was the cause of the fire.

While firefighters were about to get the fire under control and there were no injuries, there was significant damage to both homes.

FOX31’s Courtney Fromm was on the scene where a homeowner came back from a trip to one side of his house destroyed. The neighbor told Fromm his home was next to where the fire pit sparked, which burned through his car, ATVs and into his upstairs.

Meanwhile, the upper level of the other home had damage to it as well.

Crews said this is the second fire caused by an unattended fire pit in the last 48 hours.

This fire comes after another house fire on Sunday, where a Centennial home was evacuated due to a house fire caused by an unattended fire pit . The family said they were making smores on a wooden deck. Next thing they know, they’re now looking for a new place to live.

Several counties including Arapahoe County have Stage 1 fire restrictions in place that prohibit open fires, but Brian Willie, with South Metro Fire Rescue, said fire pits are allowed with a responsible person over age 18.

That said, South Metro Fire Rescue said to make sure fire pits are fully extinguished before leaving and to douse the hot coals completely.

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