Blaze destroys pottery shop

Blaze destroys pottery shop

October 11, 2001

FIREFIGHTERS WITH the Cortez Volunteer Fire Department douse the remains of a pottery shop that was gutted by a blaze Tuesday afternoon.

A pottery shop on North Dolores Road was destroyed by a fire Tuesday afternoon after a mishap involving a stove.

According to Mike Ptaszynski, public-relations officer for the Cortez Volunteer Fire Department, the blaze erupted when someone poured Coleman fuel on burning embers in a wood stove, in an attempt to restart a fire. The fuel flashed, causing the person to drop the can, the contents of which then also caught fire. The owners were unable to put out the fire — which was exacerbated by dry conditions within the shop — and the fire department was dispatched at 1:58 p.m.

Eighteen persons and six vehicles from CVFD responded, Ptaszynski said, along with Cortez law-enforcement offcers and the Colorado State Patrol, who helped with traffic.

The blaze was under control within 15 minutes of arrival, Ptaszynski said, but the structure was a 100-percent loss. No injuries were reported, he said.