Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Fort Collins, CO – Sprinkler system controlled fire that started at fire pump

Residents of the Northern Hotel were evacuated in the early morning hours Thursday  as firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the historic Old Town Fort Collins building. 

Poudre Fire Authority responded to 172 N. College Ave. about 2 a.m. Thursday after a fire pump — which provides water to the building’s sprinkler system — in the basement caught fire, causing smoke in the building, Poudre Fire Capt. Matt Housley said.

The fire triggered a sprinkler head, which controlled the fire until firefighters arrived a few minutes after the automatic fire alarm was triggered.

Poudre Fire, UCHealth EMS, Fort Collins Police Services and Larimer Humane Society responded. The fire was fully controlled by 3:01 a.m., Housley said. 

A total of 45 people were evacuated to the nearby Opera Galleria while firefighters worked. All were able to return home Thursday morning, Housley said. Northbound College Avenue was closed between Laporte and Mountain avenues for about three hours Thursday morning while crews responded and worked on cleanup.

Housley said crews planned to repair the fire pump Thursday and that all residents would be able to stay at the building.

“It’s not every day you get a fire pump that catches on fire and puts itself out,” he said. 

Once considered the “pearl” of Fort Collins, the Northern Hotel hasn’t welcomed guests for decades, but its top three floors have provided shelter for low-income seniors while the ground floor has flourished with stable retail, including Starbucks. 

The building underwent a renovation to its 47 small apartments last year, when owners rehabbed the plumbing; installed air conditioning; and replaced windows, flooring, cabinets, bathrooms and appliances.