Two-alarm fire claims local home, no injuries

Tragedy struck a local family early Wednesday morning, as their home, outside Longmont, caught fire.

First responders from the Berthoud Fire Protection District arrived at 4:58 a.m. Wednesday and noticed a visible fire glow from Highway 287 and County Road 8, according to a release from District Information Officer May Soricelli. 

“Upon engine crew arrival, the structure was heavily involved in fire,” Soricelli said in the release.

The five occupants were evacuated safely before crews arrived and did not suffer any sustained injuries according to an  examination by Thompson Valley EMS.

A total of seven response units from Berthoud and Loveland were on the scene. The fire was marked under control by 6 a.m., though the structure sustained significant damage. Some crews remained to eliminate hot spots and assess damage.

As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the investigation by Berthoud Fire and Larimer County Sheriff's Office was still under way. No statement had been issued since.

The home belonged to Alicia and Oaken Beeson, owners of Wispy Greens. According to a GoFundMe page established by Heather McChesney, the family had moved into their dream home in July of 2020. 

The Beesons are safe and staying with family, according to McChesney’s page. No one was harmed, but the family left with only the clothes they were wearing.

The GoFundMe page hopes to raise at least $20,000 to help the family rebuild.

“Victims of a house fire face tremendous emotional stress and financial costs, and I’m hoping some help can alleviate part of the stress that will be faced as Alicia and Oaken begin to rebuild,” McChesney said on the fundraising page.