A fire that Aurora firefighters say was intentionally set tore through two homes near East Espana Way on Saturday night, forcing a family of five to flee barefoot and without belongings. Days later, when Gloria Ponce went back to check on what was left of her house, she discovered someone had broken in and taken something while she was gone.
Aurora Fire Rescue crews were called to the 2000 block of East Espana Way around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to KDVR, though Denver7 reported crews responded near North Dunkirk Street around 7:20 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find two homes already burning, requested additional crews, and brought the flames under control in about 20 minutes, Denver7 reported. No one was injured, though the two homes suffered heavy damage, per KDVR's report.
Three adults and two children, including the Ponce family, were displaced by the blaze, according to KDVR. The fire started at a home near Montview Boulevard and Dunkirk Street and spread to the neighboring house where the Ponce family lived, according to CBS Colorado. Gloria Ponce told the station the wind carried the flames onto her roof and that her family had to escape without shoes or any of their belongings.
A Family Scrambles to Safety
Ponce called 911 as the fire reached her home, CBS Colorado reported. Speaking separately to Que Bueno Denver, she said, “El viento sopló y llevó el fuego a nuestro techo” — the wind blew and carried the fire to their roof. The flames tore through the upper level of her home, while water used to fight the fire caused extensive damage throughout the rest of the house, according to the outlet's report.
Ponce and her family had lived in the home for about eight years, moving in back in 2018, per the same account. They are now staying in a hotel with help from the American Red Cross, which Denver7 said was requested to assist those affected by the fire. CBS Colorado reported Ponce described the fire and its aftermath as feeling like a nightmare.
Cause Still Disputed Among Agencies
Accounts of what sparked the fire diverge. The Aurora Fire Department told CBS Colorado the fire was intentionally set and human-caused. But KDVR and Denver7 both reported the cause remained under investigation, with Denver7 stating plainly, “The cause of the fire is being investigated.”
When Ponce returned Friday to assess the damage, she found that someone had broken into the house, according to CBS Colorado. Officers responded to the reported break-in, and Ponce said the intruder took one item and appeared to know exactly what they were looking for, the station reported.
Family Seeks Help While Rebuilding
The family is now raising money to cover expenses while they recover from the fire, according to CBS Colorado, and Que Bueno Denver reported that a GoFundMe page has been established to help Ponce and her family.
The Oct. 17 fire comes months after Aurora fire officials investigated a separate string of suspected arson fires near South Dallas Street and East Mansfield Avenue, close to apartment complexes, according to KDVR's earlier reporting. That series began June 10, when two or three fires were found burning, and continued through at least June 19, when a grass fire grew to the size of three basketball courts, the outlet reported. Unlike the East Espana Way fire, those blazes caused no reported building damage or injuries, and officials asked anyone with information to call the arson tip line at (303) 326-8912.
