CORTEZ FIREFIGHTERS respond to a blaze that destroyed a home at the Allen Trailer Park in Cortez on Wednesday.

By Katharhynn Heidelberg
Journal Staff Writer

A mid-morning fire gutted a residence at the Allen Trailer Park, 600 W. Washington in Cortez, Wednesday and slightly damaged a neighboring structure.

The cause remains undetermined, according to Mike Ptaszynski of the Cortez Fire Department.

Nineteen firefighters and the Cortez Police Department responded with two engines, a ladder truck and a rescue unit at approximately 10:50 a.m. The blaze took 15 minutes and 800 gallons of water to contain, Ptaszynski said.

At its height, the conflagration sparked fears that other residences might also catch fire. The intense heat blasted out the side of the home, and broke a window out of the trailer next door, which was unoccupied.

The first home was declared a total loss. "Sometimes there’s a little left, but this one went right up," Ptaszynski said. It was unknown whether the owner, who was present at the time of the fire and very distressed, had insurance.