Blazing Bush Nearly Sets Building on Fire in Lafayette, Colorado

A major structure fire was narrowly avoided Thursday evening in Old Town Lafayette, Colorado. Around 7:30 pm a large juniper bush next to the EZ Pawn on Public Rd. ignited and sent flames and smoke shooting high into the sky.

Neil Kjack, a local volunteer firefighter and owner of the Nature's Point booth at the Lafayette Farmers Market, rushed across Public Road and turned on a garden hose at a neighboring business to try to control the flames until the Lafayette Fire Dept. could arrive.

Shoppers at the Lafayette Farmers Market quickly pulled out their cell phones and called 911 to contact the Lafayette Fire Department. Another shopper then ran across Public Road and found another garden hose to help spray water on the growing smoke and flames.

Within two minutes of calling 911, the sirens of responding police and firefighters could be heard approaching from South and North Public Road. A Lafayette police officer was first on the scene and stopped traffic so that the approaching Lafayette fire truck would have a place to park.

Firefighters quickly spread out hoses and directed water onto the base of the blazing juniper to keep it from spreading to the EZ Pawn building. While they were battling the blazing bush, a fire engine from the Mountain View Fire District in Erie, CO arrived on the scene.

After five to ten minutes of concentrated effort, the firefighters were able to reduce the blazing bush to a smoldering pile of brush. The fire did not spread to the EZ Pawn but the paint on the northeast side of the building sustained some heat induced blistering.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.