'Uninhabitable' – Senior Building Not Safe After Fire

LITTLETON, CO – Littleton fire and building officials declared a senior-living high-rise complex that caught fire last month "uninhabitable" based on after air quality tests and a physical inspection, the City of Littleton said Monday.

The Windermere building, in the 5800 block of South Datura Street, is not safe for residents to return to in the near future because of damage from the Nov. 17 fire, the city said.

Micro-vac testing, mandated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, found asbestos residue clinging to surfaces such as walls, stairwells and air ducts. These areas will need to be cleaned and abated along with extensive repairs required on the elevators, ventilation and fire control systems, the city said.

“There is a lot we know,” said Littleton Chief Building Official Bill Tracy. “But more importantly, there is a lot we don’t know. The building can’t be maintained in a safe manner while further evaluation, repairs and testing get underway.”

“Our primary focus is the health and well-being of the residents who can’t return to their homes,” said Littleton Mayor Debbie Brinkman. The City of Littleton will pay $7,500 each to Love Inc. and the American Red Cross to "help reimburse these great organizations for their costs in helping residents with housing, food, transportation, clothing, and other expenses," Brinkman said in a statement.

Most residents will have the chance in the next few weeks to retrieve the rest of the items from units. However, nine of the 130 units are considered "a total loss," the city said. The property's management agency will submit a plan to the city that describes how and when residents can return to their units to remove belongings, the city said.

All residents had renters insurance, the city said, but many of them must pay a deductible before they are allowed to collect on their policies.

Twelve people were injured and one person died after the early morning blaze that started in a ground-floor unit. Some people were injured jumping from balconies, fire departments said. About 100 emergency personnel responded to the scene, including 10 engines, four ladder trucks and 13 ambulances.

The fire was declared a "mass-casualty incident" because of the number of people injured.

Resident Michael Craig Mitchell, 70, a Vietnam war veteran, died on his birthday in the blaze.

Related: 1 Dead, 12 Injured In Littleton Early Morning Senior Housing Fire

Image via South Metro Fire Rescue

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