David and Serena Soyka saw their Chipeta Park home destroyed by fire within minutes Thursday night, but swift work by firefighters saved the house next door.
Soyka told Gazette news partner KKTV-11 that he and his wife were watching television when he saw a puff of smoke coming up the stairs. The couple fled with their pets.
The house, at 9450 Mohawk Trail, was engulfed by flames 40 to 50 feet high when firefighters arrived, said Cascade Fire Capt. Michael Wupper, the incident commander.
“Conditions that night were pretty difficult to deal with, with snow falling and cold weather,” Wupper said.
But with the house next door “getting pretty close to ignite,” he said, “we did what’s called quick attack instead of going to the hydrant. We carry 500 gallons and got that on the other house right away.
“That tactic definitely helped with the outcome of the fire. I like to think we saved that house.”
Other firefighters then set up three lines of attack hose pumping thousands of gallons of water, Wupper said.
He said the cause of the fire was ruled accidental by the Green Mountain/Chipeta Park Fire Department, where no one could be reached Saturday for details.
The Manitou Springs and Woodland Park Fire Departments also helped battle the blaze, he said.
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