By SCOTT HARRISON
s.harrison@krdo.com
COLORADO SPRINGS - A Friday morning fire that burned at a west side liquor store was quickly extinguished before it could spread through a shopping center.
The Fire Department received the report at 3:48 a.m. at the Red Rocks Liquor Store, 3139 W. Colorado Ave., in the Red Rock Canyon Shopping Center. The fire apparently started in a stack of boxes beside an ice machine outside the store. About 30 firefighters kept flames from spreading to the roof and to adjacent businesses. No one was injured.
Police also are investigating whether vandalism at a UPS store in the same center, is connected to the fire. The owner says he was alerted by police, and found his glass door shattered. Police and fire investigators will determine if the two incidents are related.
David Kim, the liquor store owner, says his store sustained a small amount of fire and smoke damage, but he plans to open as usual so that he doesn't lose sales during the busy labor day weekend. His store also was damaged in March of 2008 when a vehicle drove into it.
Smoke from the fire set off alarms at other stores in the center, and owners arrived to check their stores and clear away smoke if needed. A contractor says he'll need four days to remove smoke residue from the store's interior, and two weeks to repair the building damage.
