Leetsdale Drive remains closed in Denver around massive five-alarm fire

Leetsdale Drive in Denver remained closed Sunday after flames consumed an apartment complex under construction along the road — the worst fire to spark in Denver in decades.

As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Leetsdale Drive was closed in both directions between South Holly Street and South Forest Drive, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Calls started coming in about a structure fire along Leetsdale Drive, between South Forest and South Hudson Streets, at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Denver Fire Department Chief Desmond Fulton said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation on Sunday.

Most of the building at 5337 Leetsdale Drive, which property records show was set to be a 283-unit luxury apartment complex called Harker Heights, had collapsed Saturday afternoon.

The fire is expected to continue burning inside the building through the weekend, blocking firefighters from entering to investigate the cause or search for victims, Division Chief Robert Murphy said during a Saturday news conference.

“I don’t know if any of us have seen a fire on this scale in our careers,” Murphy said. “I’m in the 30th year of my career, and this is the first five-alarm, almost six-alarm fire that we’ve ever had. We have had other large fires, like the Glendale fire and Emerson Street fire, but they never reached the capacity in terms of firefighters that this one did.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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