<\/p>\n
An unexplained fire caused significant damage to the Chronic Therapy marijuana shop in south Cortez early Monday morning, but the building was saved.<\/p>\n
The fire at 1020 S. Broadway torched a good portion of the east side of the business, destroying a deck and spreading into the attic, said Jay Balfour, chief of the Cortez Fire Protection District.<\/p>\n
The multistory building previously housed the Lotsa Pasta restaurant.<\/p>\n
The fire was reported about 1:30 a.m., and when fire crews arrived, it was burning on the deck and east side of the structure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was burning heavy, and had moved to the ground floor and into the attic,\u201d he said. \u201cWe fought it with a ladder truck on the outside, and with firefighters inside, knocking it down before it could spread further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holes were punched into the roof to put out the fire in the attic. After the fire was extinguished, mop-up continued past 4 a.m.<\/p>\n
The fire momentarily had spread to some shrubbery in a field bordering the business. No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
Balfour said the cause of the fire is undetermined and is being investigated by the Cortez Police Department and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.<\/p>\n
Chronic Therapy manager Ryan Coleman said the shop will remain closed until repairs could be made.<\/p>\n
Equipment losses were significant, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had just opened, and business was good,\u201d he said. \u201cWe plan to reopen as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coleman said the business has surveillance cameras and the recordings were made available to investigators. He said he believed the fire was suspicious and added that Chronic Therapy was offering a $500 reward for information that leads to a conviction if foul play was involved. On Wednesday, the reward was raised to $1,000.<\/p>\n
According to an email from the shop, the marijuana hosted its grand opening Friday through Sunday and included a barbecue and deals on products. Its business hours were listed as Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
The Cortez Fire Protection District, Cortez Police Department and a Southwest Health Systems ambulance responded to the blaze.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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