House Fire In Boulder Under Investigation After Squatters Removed
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Neighbors say they are grateful squatters were removed from a house on their block over the weekend after months of loud noises and trash piling up on that property. Investigators are looking into a fire started the day after police removed the squatters on Saturday, the cause does not appear to be intentional.
"We knew people were there. We believe they were squatters," said Bennett Braverman, a longtime resident of the area who lives next door. "In the morning we heard people screaming at each other and arguing and a lot of people coming and going."
Boulder police confirmed three homes on one lot in the 1800 block of Canyon were unoccupied, but not abandoned. One person owns all three houses, and they were last there a month ago. Four adults were found inside along with a dog. They received felony summonses for trespassing on Saturday, but were released.
"I thought that they did everything respectfully and the way it should be done," Braverman said of the police.
The day after the homes were vacated, a fire started outside on a couch that burned part of one house. Police say the flames destroyed the home on Sunday, and investigators are looking into the cause.
There were cigarette butts outside of the house along with a lot of debris, according to police. The property had urine, feces, and used syringes all over.
"By the time I got outside, looked through the kitchen, it was a real fire," Braverman said of the flames on the house.
He and his wife are relieved the situation was finally addressed by police. They tried to get officers on scene for months, but the owner had to make the call. The couple told CBS4 on Monday that the mail carrier managed to get the right people notified so police could respond over the weekend.
"There was a bicycle ring operating outside of the same house, the uncooperative home," said Deidre Braverman about other issues at that location a couple summers ago.
The Bravermans have lived in the neighborhood for about 20 years and say the last two years there have been issues with those homes. They did reach out to the owner and say he tried to secure the property over the weekend, he may not have been able to personally respond to the issue until now, according to the couple.
CBS4 was unable to reach the owner on Monday.