Building Evacuated Due To Asbestos Vapors -- MesoLink.org -- 12-16-04

A fire at a block of apartments in Williams Fork Trail in Boulder resulted in total evacuation of the building due to dangerous vapours that were released into the air. The fire managed to destroy one unit completely. Nobody was home in the unit that was completely destroyed, but after battling with the fire crews found several birds, two cats and one dog dead inside.

The fire managed to cause over $100,000 worth of damage to the block of apartments. It was also responsible for releasing deadly asbestos vapours into the air, and this is the main reason that everyone had to be evacuated for a longer period of time than would otherwise have been necessary.

The building contained 24 units, and occupants were taken to the Rocky Mountain Christian Church on Niwot Road. This is where the Red Cross had set up a shelter for the affected residents until the apartment block could be made safe both in terms of putting out the fire and cleaning up the asbestos vapours in the air.

The concern over the vapours was due to the fact that asbestos can result in deadly diseases when breathed in by people. It can lead to a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma, which can take several decades to manifest but can then kill within a matter of months. It is not yet known what caused the fire, but investigations will be carried out to try and determine this fact.