CENTRAL CITY – An early morning fire on February 12, 2025, at Gold Mountain Village Apartments resulted in the tragic loss of one life and the displacement of multiple residents. 

The fire, which ignited around 3:15 a.m., remains under investigation by the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

A resident of the building shared their harrowing experience, describing how they were unaware of the fire until their teenager, who was sleeping in the living room, woke up to shouts of "FIRE!" from outside. 

“I woke up around 2:40 a.m. and was trying to go back to sleep in my bedroom, the farthest room from the front door,” the resident recalled. “The fire alarms in the hallway were barely audible, and nothing inside the apartment was alerting us to a fire.”

Upon opening the door, the resident was met with dense smoke, making it difficult to see or breathe.

“We couldn’t see a hand in front of our faces in the hallway of the third floor,” they said. The resident and their three children, along with their pets, managed to evacuate down three flights of stairs through heavy smoke. 

“Crawling under the smoke wasn’t an option because of the dogs pulling on us,” they added.

Black Hawk Police were first on the scene, arriving within three minutes and working to rescue residents trapped inside. 

Officers Sergeant L. Martson and Officer S. Webb assisted in evacuations before being hospitalized for smoke inhalation. They are currently recovering.

Shortly after, Black Hawk Fire Department arrived and made entry, followed by additional fire crews from Central City and Clear Creek. Firefighters contained the blaze to a single apartment, but one elderly female resident was found deceased inside.

“We are saddened by the loss of one of our community members,” officials stated. “Our thoughts go out to the family and friends affected by this tragedy.”

While the cause is still under investigation, initial reports indicate the fire may have been sparked by a cigarette igniting an oxygen tank. 

The resident who spoke with The Mountain-Ear believes the incident could have been avoided. “I reported indoor smoking to management multiple times, as it violates our lease, yet they failed to act—even after I followed up,” they said.

Concerns were also raised about the building’s fire safety measures. “The alarms were barely audible, and if the sprinklers failed. That’s another serious failure on management’s part,” the resident stated. The full extent of these potential failures remains under review.

The deceased resident, identified by community members as “Kat,” was in hospice care for stage four lung and brain cancer. She lived with her two disabled brothers, Tom and Dan, who lost everything in the fire.

A fundraiser has been set up to assist them in covering funeral expenses, rebuilding their lives, and relocating. To donate, visit: https://gofund.me/14170a18.

Gold Mountain Village Apartments, managed by Mission Rock Property Management, is the county’s only affordable housing complex. Residents are now demanding accountability from management regarding fire safety and lease enforcement.

“Property management should have been on-site during the emergency to provide access to restrooms and shelter for displaced residents,” the resident said. “Several leasing agents and maintenance staff live here, yet no one from management showed up.”

Many are calling for improved fire safety measures, better alarm systems, and stricter enforcement of lease policies.

As the community mourns, neighbors and friends continue to rally together to support those affected. 

The resident expressed deep gratitude for the first responders, but was direct in their message to the management: “Mission Rock Property Management has a duty to ensure that residents—especially the elderly and disabled—are safe and protected from fire hazards and health risks. They have failed to do so, and that needs to change.”