PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A fire tore through an abandoned building near an Interstate 25 underpass in downtown Pueblo early Tuesday morning, highlighting ongoing concerns about vacant properties and fire safety in the city.
The building, located on private property that had been abandoned for years according to both city officials and bystanders, caught fire for the second time this year. Crews worked to tear down what remained of the structure after extinguishing the blaze.
"They should be tearing these vacant properties down," said Shawn Dutton, who witnessed the fire and has lived in the area for 10 years.
Dutton said fires like this are far too common in Pueblo, often caused by people seeking shelter in abandoned buildings.
Public Works Director Andrew Hayes confirmed that vacant properties can become vulnerable to squatters, particularly during colder weather when people experiencing homelessness seek indoor shelter.
"If these private properties are vacant or left abandoned for a period of time, they can be vulnerable to squatters," said Hayes. "That's a time where we seen an uptick in fires being lit in these abandoned properties."
The city is working on new approaches to address the problem through its Boarded, Blighted, and Burnt initiative, which launched earlier this year. The program aims to repurpose abandoned structures into housing, though Hayes acknowledged that seeing results will take time.
"We're hopeful the frequency of these incidences drops over time," said Hayes.
The process of condemning and potentially demolishing abandoned private property is lengthy, Hayes explained. In the meantime, he urged property owners to secure their vacant buildings.
"If you have fences or gates, make sure they work. Make sure you have doors which are lockable," said Hayes.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a Pueblo Fire Department spokesman said the cause of the fire is likely human-related.
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