Crews monitoring house fire near Horsetooth Reservoir

A fire destroyed a house west of Horsetooth Reservoir on Wednesday afternoon and spread to a nearby hillside.

According to Poudre Fire Authority, no one was home at the home on Continental Circle at the time of the fire and no one was injured. However, one PFA firefighter was transported to the hospital for treatment of fatigue. The fire also displaced one man and two cats were unaccounted for. No other homes were damaged. Firefighters quickly put out the vegetation fire.

Firefighters remained on scene overnight to watch the area and continue putting out hot spots. Crews had the fire under control about 8 p.m., but the fire is expected to continue smoldering throughout the day Thursday.

The call for the blaze, which sent plumes of smoke billowing into the air that were visible for miles, came about 5:10 p.m. The house in question, on was "fully involved" by the time Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies first arrived on the scene, according to a Poudre Fire Authority spokesman.

The fire threatened nearby structures and emergency notifications were sent out to residents in the area before crews were able to get a handle on the blaze. LCSO deputies also went door-to-door asking neighbors to evacuate. By 7 p.m., crews had the fire knocked down, but some personnel remained on scene to douse hot spots.

PFA crews reported difficulty fighting the fire due to low water pressure from fire hydrants. At one point, firefighters had to back off the blaze, as a 500-gallon propane tank was venting. Firefighters also transported water to the scene, as is common in remote areas, according to PFA.

Neighborhood resident and Home Owner's Association president Damon McCausland said he rushed home from work as soon as he saw a neighborhood advisement on Facebook about the fire. By the time he got there, a neighbor's home was completely gone.

McCausland said it's not the first time the neighborhood has been evacuated for a fire, and the community support for one another is strong.

“The community up here is so strong," he said. "Everybody bands together to help everybody out.”

He also commended Poudre Fire Authority and other responding agencies for what he called an outstanding response and for their ability to contain the fire before it spread.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.