In Brief: Fire near Aspen; rescue at Maroon Peak

Aspen Airport Business Center fire

A fire was reported at 10:18 p.m. Saturday on a hillside east of the Aspen Airport Business Center, according to the Aspen Fire Protection District. The fire was contained by 12:12 a.m. Sunday.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, according to a news release. The initial 911 call, however, attributed the ignition to a blown transformer.

The fire was burning under overhead power lines, and thus the firefighting techniques used by initial responders were modified. Responders modified their firefighting tactics until Holy Cross Energy confirmed the power lines were de-energized, and responders could directly engage the fire.

Due to the power lines being turned off, parts of Aspen and the surrounding area suffered power outages. Holy Cross Energy was able to restore power shortly after the fire was contained.

Responders from Aspen Fire Protection District included volunteer firefighters, four fire engines, a rescue unit, and a command unit. Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control, including the closure of Woodward Lane during firefighting efforts.

Maroon Peak rescue

Around 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, Pitkin County emergency dispatch received an SOS notification for an injured climber on North Maroon Peak who had reportedly suffered a fall and broken leg.

According to Kenny McPhee, another climber who helped with the rescue, the climber fell 30-40 feet in steep and unstable terrain, and Mountain Rescue Aspen decided a hoist rescue was the best option. The climber reportedly fell at about 13,880 feet on the northeast ridge of North Maroon Peak, which is the standard route for North Maroon Peak. According to McPhee, the climber had been descending from the summit when the fall occurred.

MRA received support from Colorado Search and Rescue and the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS). The injured climber was able to stay in contact with emergency services through a two-way satellite communication device. Other climbers, including an off duty search and rescue professional and two EMTs were able to assist the climber, providing first aid and splinting their broken leg. The injured climber then had to be carried down around another 40 feet to a place where the hoist operators could airlift them.

HAATS picked up MRA hoist operators at the Pitkin County Airport, and rescuers made visual contact at 12:49 p.m., a little over three and a half hours after dispatch received the SOS notification. The injured climber was then hoisted and back to the Pitkin County Airport and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. According to a press release, all rescue personnel were out of the field by 4:30 p.m.