New investigation confirms vehicle fuel leak ignited fire; sprinklers held flames in check
FORT COLLINS — A recent follow-up from Poudre Fire Authority (PFA) sheds light on the cause and impact of last week’s vehicle fire in an underground garage at the 3400 block of Riva Ridge Place. The findings underscore the importance of fire sprinkler systems in protecting Northern Colorado’s multi-unit housing.
An investigation by a PFA fire investigator determined that the fire was triggered by a fuel leak from a car that had just been driven and then parked in the garage under the apartment complex. The leaked fuel ignited due to residual heat in the vehicle. Given the location of the fire—directly beneath occupied units—and the presence of combustible materials in or near the garage, the situation had high potential to escalate rapidly.
Thanks to the building’s fire-sprinkler system, the flames were held at bay until PFA firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished the fire before it could spread to the upper stories of the building…