Denver Man Barely Escapes House Fire Investigators Call Arson
DENVER (CBS4) - Investigators are looking for the suspect who started a fire at a home in Denver Saturday evening.
Crews put out flames at a four-plex at 8th Avenue and Dahlia Street. The man who lives in the home, Paul Chacon, barely got out in time. Investigators have determined the fire was an act of arson due to an eye witness account of someone starting the fire.
Flames burned through an area of bushes and shrubs and then burst into the home through the window.
"It exploded like a bomb. I saw flames," Chacon said.
.
Chacon was in his living room when flames surged through the window.
"I've got to get out of here as soon as possible," he said.
He escaped just in time as neighbors saw what was going on.
"I just looked out and i saw flames and I thought, 'Okay, that's a little too much for a barbecue,' " neighbor Jack said.
Denver firefighters worked quickly to keep the rapid fire from spreading to other units.
Chacon is now staying elsewhere until his ravaged home can be repaired.
"All of my medication, all of my paper, everything was destroyed," Chacon said. "So I'll have to replace all of that."
A Denver fire spokesperson said they haven't yet made an arrest in the arson and their investigation is ongoing.