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Firefighters battle blaze at St. Malo Retreat Center
By Nissa LaPoint
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**ALERT ** The retreat center will be closed for retreats for the foreseeable future. St. Malo staff is contacting retreat groups that were scheduled for the facility. Contact: To reschedule events, contact Jorge Luna at (720) 937-2500.
Photo by James Baca/DCR |
Firefighters continued to battle flames and smoke seen billowing from the historic St. Malo Retreat Center in Allenspark early Monday morning, according to an Allenspark Fire Protection District authority.
The cause of the fire was still unreported by press deadline Nov. 14.
The fire department requested assistance from area fire districts that brought three aerial tankers to help fight the flames seen coming from the north wing of the 49-room lodge.
“We have resources as far away as Lafayette down here,” said an Allenspark fire department spokeswoman, who asked not to be named.
Initial reports of a fire came a little after 8 a.m. Nov. 14 at St. Malo located at 10758 Highway 7. No injuries were reported at the retreat center, where guests were sent home Sunday night because of a power outage, and staff was evacuated at the first signs of the fire.
“We don’t know of anybody being hurt,” said the spokeswoman. “The church so far is fine and doesn’t appear to be hurt in any way.”
St. Catherine Chapel is the original free-standing stone church built in the 1930s. The conference center retreat lodge, where the fire occurred, was built in the late 1980s.
Firefighters initially attacked the fire from inside the building before an 8-foot ceiling began to come down. The south side of the building remained unharmed as of noon Monday.
“We are extremely grateful the firefighters were able to control the fire before it spread to other parts of the property, said Jeanette De Melo, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Denver. “St. Malo has been a beautiful oasis for many people. It’s sad to see any damage to it.”
News agencies reported an estimated $1 million in damage to the building.
St. Malo, a Catholic retreat, conference and spiritual center was visited by Blessed Pope John Paul II during his World Youth Day trip to Denver in 1993.
Further reports about the fire will be in the next week’s Denver Catholic Register.
Secular News Coverage of St. Malo fire:
Story with video: Fire breaks out at St. Malo, causing as much at $1 million in damage at the Catholic retreat center [quotes Msgr. Fryar]
Denver Post, photo p. 1A, story p. 1B; and Boulder Daily Camera
Catholic retreat fire still smoldering
Associated Press, Denver Post online
Story and video: Fire contained at St. Malo lodge near Allenspark; up to $1M in damage [quotes Jeannette DeMelo]
Boulder Daily Camera, run in Loveland Reporter Herald, Estes Park Trail Gazette and Colorado Daily
Fire causes heavy damage to historic Catholic retreat [quotes Jeanette DeMelo]
Associated Press, run in Fort Collins Coloradoan and Colorado Springs Gazette
Colorado Catholic retreat center seriously damaged in fire [quotes Jose Ambrozic]
Catholic News Agency
Fire damages historic Catholic retreat in Colorado
Reuters
Story and video: Firefighters will battle St. Malo blaze into Tuesday morning
9News Denver
Story and video: Fire Damages Sections Of St. Malo Catholic Retreat
CBS4 Denver
Story: Firefighters Contain Fire At St. Malo Retreat
KMGH 7News Denver
Story and video: St. Malo fire contained; damage estimated at $1 million
Fox 31 Denver, CW2
Fire burns historic lodge in Larimer County
850 KOA radio
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