The Last Stand
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Memorial service
A memorial service for Steamboat Springs resident David Engle is at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Yampa River Botanic Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Routt County Humane Society, P.O. Box 772080, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477.
Steamboat Springs — There were no smoke detectors in the Old Town apartment of a man who died early Sunday morning after a small fire broke out in his kitchen, Steamboat Springs fire officials said Monday. County and city officials also haven’t found any records indicating the small apartment had the proper permits for occupancy.
The small blaze, in a converted garage apartment at 705 Pine St., killed David Engle, 40, a Steamboat Springs High School graduate who had lived in town since he was about 10.
Neighbor Chris Seefelt, who lives in the adjoining home, was roused by two young children in his house who noticed the smoke early Sunday morning.
“The smoke was from ceiling down to waist level” in Seefelt’s adjoining unit, he said. The two residences shared a door, blocked off by a refrigerator, where smoke entered his kitchen.
Seefelt ran outside and around to Engle’s apartment door to try to rescue him.
“When I kicked in his door it took three minutes before the smoke cleared enough that I could crawl in,” he said.
Seefelt pulled Engle out of the apartment, but he and his dog, Luna, were already dead.
Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg said Engle likely died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning. Results of an autopsy will be available within the next two days.
Engle, a subcontractor who painted, installed drywall, framed buildings and also worked as a plumber, had no immediate family in town. His parents, Duane Engle from Colorado Springs and Mariane Engle of Green Valley, Ariz., arrived in town Monday morning with his sister Margy Rimland.
Duane said he recently purchased a new carbon monoxide detector for his home and intended to give his old detector to David, but because of scheduling conflicts, he never got the chance to deliver it.
“I’m here now,” he said Monday as he stood outside David’s apartment.
Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue Chief Bob Struble said there was no fire to fight when responders were dispatched to the apartment at 3:50 a.m. Sunday; the blaze had burned itself out.
Fire scorched the top third of the interior of the apartment above the gas stove, Fire Marshall Jay Muhme said, but no damage was visible from the outside.
Muhme said an investigation is under way but that no smoke detectors were found in the house immediately after the fire.
“It’s possible that having a smoke detector in the house could have made the outcome different,” Muhme said.
Building codes require that, in new construction, smoke detectors be installed in all bedrooms and immediately outside each bedroom. The same guidelines must be followed when a home undergoes alterations, repairs and additions, including when one or more sleeping rooms are added or created in existing houses.
Struble said it was unclear whether those provisions apply to Engle’s apartment because officials don’t yet know when the apartment was built and whether the current regulations had been adopted at that time.
Seefelt said he has lived in the home for about 10 years and that the apartment occupied by Engle used to be a garage, but he was unclear about when the conversion took place.
Engle’s apartment, listed on his door as 705 Pine St., is attached to the apartment where Seefelt was sleeping, at 243 Seventh St.
Both are owned by Jeff and Trigg Gerber of Steamboat. The Gerbers purchased the structure, listed as 243 Seventh St., in September 2007 for $612,000. Jeff Gerber said the property was divided into two apartments at the time of the purchase. Seefelt said Engle had lived in the apartment for about a year and a half.
According to the Routt County Assessor’s online database, the home at 243 Seventh St. has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a garage. However, there is no garage on the property.
The home was owned by the Thurston family of Oak Creek from February 2004 to September 2007. Tamara and Thomas Thurston could not be reached for comment Monday evening. Old Town Inn owned the home from 1994 to 2004.
Searches of records at the Routt County Assessor’s Office, the Routt County Regional Building Department and the Steamboat Springs Department of Planning and Community Development did not produce any documents that indicate the required permits were filed to convert the garage into a residence.
Officials at all three offices didn’t rule out the possibility that the permits were issued but not immediately available.
“We do not have on our records that the garage is a habitable unit,” Routt County Assessor Mike Kerrigan said.
The Assessor’s Office lists the property at 243 Seventh St. as having a garage built in the 1940s, but 705 Pine St. is not listed in any records.
To legally turn a garage into an apartment, Kerrigan said the plans would need to be submitted and put through a review process. There are no records to show that process took place for the Seventh Street address.
Kerrigan also said that although there are many illegal buildings in Steamboat, enforcement of the regulations is lax.
Enforcement of city codes falls to the Department of Planning and Community Development.
Bob Keenan, senior planner for the Planning Department, said they had no records of a secondary unit on the lot and that the address of 705 Pine St. was never issued.
Keenan said the department does not routinely search for illegal units and typically issues only one or two citations per year after complaints are made.
“Obviously life safety is an issue,” he said. “But we don’t actively pursue illegal units. It’s not something we’re budgeted for.”
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Community comments
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colobob (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.
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First and foremost my condolences to this young mans family. It is a terrible loss and my heart goes out to them. What a thing to have to associate Fathers Day with for the rest of his fathers (as well as the rest of his families) life. This is a prime example of why safe, affordable housing is urgently needed in SS. It also brings to light something we all know to be widespread here in the valley. Long before the recent escalation of prices of real estate hit the valley this type of rental property has been prevalent. With the rise of the cost of real estate this type of dwelling has risen as well, spiraling out of control. We all know of someone either renting or leasing similar properties. This should be a wake up call for everyone. Renters, landlords, and city officials need to understand that due to the severe housing shortage that this type of rental is rampant throughout the valley and that it is only a matter of time before something like this happens again. It's a shame that a tragedy like this has brought the need to prioritize a solution to the current affordable housing crisis to the forefront. The time to act is now before anything like this happens again. Happy Fathers Day? Not for this family!! It is time that money be spent where it is needed most. Ballfields, parking garages, whatever, need to take a back seat to the housing issue before another life is lost. We ALL need to get our priorities straight! Not one more life should be lost because of our apathy for the current housing shortage or our quest for the almighty buck.
tombedell (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 7:22 a.m.
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Dave was the kinda guy who always could make you laugh. his keen wit and awesome sense of humor were unmatched. We'll always remember you. steamboats a lesser place with your passing. rest in peace buddy.
factsfirst (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 8:21 a.m.
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Many residences in Steamboat, illegal or legal, likely do not have safety systems in place. Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Monitors are inexpensive and if you don't have them, this should be the wake-up call to install them. If you have them, be sure to check the batteries regularly. Old furnaces should be inspected for cracks & leaks at regular intervals. It is likely that many old windows have been painted shut. A child in a bedroom may not think that breaking the glass is an option if they need to escape quickly. Families should take this opportunity to discuss egress plans & escape methods with their children. It should not require active code enforcement from regulatory agencies for an owner or renter to take simple life safety measures that could ultimately save a life.
ColoradoNative (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 8:32 a.m.
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What a sad story. Condolences to the family.
ColoBob I do not want to derail this thread but you bring up an interesting point about safety in the Yampa Valley. Is more affordable housing a truly life threatening situation or the unsafe roads and traffic issues we face?
From what I gathered from the article a smoke detector could have made the difference sadly enough. Every accident that results in the lost loss of life is tragic but I bet if we broke down the numbers far more people die to unsafe roads, icy conditions, traffic bottle necks, bike accidents because of lack of bike lanes etc than an unsafe “Affordable home”.
colobob (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 9:17 a.m.
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native, while I accept your opinion and while I personally feel the housing issue is of more importance I think we would both agree that out of respect for the family our discussion of contrasting views should take place on a different thread. That said, no saftey issue is unimportant and I will be happy to discuss our differing opinions with you elsewhere. Have a good day and again my condolences to this mans family & friends.
digit1964 (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 9:25 a.m.
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Should the Landlord who was paid - bear some responsibility?
Very sad - condolences to the mourning family and friends..
Matthew Stoddard
June 17, 2008 at 9:38 a.m.
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While Dave and I were never close friends, he was always a great guy, in my opinion. I pray for Marion & Margi, his mom & sister, and hope they can heal from this over time. My heart goes out to both of them.
Matt Stoddard
dreme34 (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 11:46 a.m.
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Dave was a wonderful and great friend of mine. I will miss him dearly, so sorry to hear this sad news. My family and I send our deepest sympathy to all of David's family.
Meghan Rowland
Matthew Stoddard
June 17, 2008 at 1:47 p.m.
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Kathy Connell has passed family wishes to me to post that hopefully, this thread can stay away from anything other than remembering Dave, and not let it become a debate over the particulars, as all so far seem to acknowledge. Yes, the article in question does bring these points up, but out of respect for Dave and his family, I hope we can all keep this in mind.
She also asked if I would post the information about his Memorial Service. It's posted toward the top of this thread, and I'll reiterate it here:
**A memorial service for Steamboat Springs resident David Engle is at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Yampa River Botanic Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Routt County Humane Society, P.O. Box 772080, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477.**
Dave loved Luna and his previous dog, Sam. According to Kathy, he adopted Luna from the Shelter before she was put down when she became aggressive toward her previous family's children. I hope a message like this can inspire others to be as kind of heart.
colobob (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 2:08 p.m.
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out of respect for the family I have requested that the Pilot remove my opening post. After sending it I immediately found it inappropriate in this particular forum. I offer my apology. In retrospect it was done using poor judgement and in bad taste although meaning no harm.
**Pilot staff please take notice.
elk2 (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 3:53 p.m.
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known David since he was a kid. Really nice boy and then a really nice man with a great Mom and Sister. So sorry for their loss.
Andrew_Taylor (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 7:31 p.m.
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I was shocked and saddened with this news today. We were classmates and friends and you are right, he could always make you laugh. I never saw him without a smile on his face. I will miss you my friend. My condolences to David's family.
jbuelter (anonymous)
June 17, 2008 at 8:46 p.m.
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I had David and his sister as students. They were both a joy to have in class. I would run into David every now and then around town and that smile of his was always present. My condolences to his family.
Jerry Buelter
ejohnson2v (anonymous)
June 18, 2008 at 8:37 a.m.
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I will fondly remember Dave as a great guy with a great sense of humor and infectious smile. We had some good times in high school together. My condolences to his family. -Eric 'EEEJ' Johnson
Kristi_Mitchell_Ross (anonymous)
June 18, 2008 at 9 a.m.
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Such sad and shocking news arrived by email today.
David and I first met on a yellow school bus bound for Steamboat Jr. High….we were 11 years old. The last time we saw each other was many years ago during a camping trip in Vail….his free spirit, fun nature and big happy smile will be remembered fondly by everyone who knew him.
My deepest condolences to David's family.
Kristi
ccistmbt (anonymous)
June 18, 2008 at 10:58 a.m.
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I must say this is very sad news. I want to tell of an example of the kind of person Dave was: I met Dave as he answered a “want ad” I had placed, the ad read: wanted best friend. This best friend was my dog Luna. Dave was truly a kind soul. He wanted to adopt Luna and give her a good home and a new best friend, as I couldn't give her want she needed and she had shown some aggression towards my children. He took her and loved her, and she loved him. He was a wonderful person to take such good care of her. I am grateful to Dave for becoming her best friend, and they will both be missed. Rest in peace Dave, and Luna too.
My deepest sympathy to Dave's family.
Chaelle Ince
slip (anonymous)
June 18, 2008 at 11:33 a.m.
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Although I haven't known Dave since high school, I wanted to bestow my condolences, first to Dave's family. We all loved Dave, I did not know one person who had a negative thing to say about him. His sense of humor, calm demeanor and infectious smile took the stress and nervous tension out of any situation. He always made me feel like everything was going to be okay. Even when he was laughing at me I still couldn't help but laugh along with him. To this day I cannot think about Dave without smiling.
I also want to give my condolences to Steamboat. Steamboat has lost a personality that, as I knew him, personified the Steamboat Spirit. He was a caring soul and very charming when he wanted to be. As Kristi said he was a free spirit and had an outstanding, fun nature. He was “Goood People!” In 1986 Dave was voted “Life of the Party” and I cannot think of those times without smiling, and as usual, whenever I think of Dave I will always smile. Thanks, Dave. Rest well, we'll see you soon.
Steve Harrington
spukomy (anonymous)
June 18, 2008 at 11:42 p.m.
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Had the pleasure of working with Dave my first few years here. Great having him around. This is a real loss.
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