A black cloud rose over Steamboat Springs on Wednesday, Jan. 19, after a fire broke out at the Peak Ready Mix concrete plant on the western side of the city.

The fire was first reported about noon at the plant on the southwest corner of Shield Drive and Curve Court.

Steamboat Springs Fire Chief Chuck Cerasoli said it is believed to have started with a faulty conveyor belt before the flames fully engulfed a tower connected to the main building that houses the belt.

Cerasoli and a company representative both said no one was injured in the blaze.

“(Peak Ready Mix) had everybody away from the building and had it cleared when we arrived,” Cerasoli said.

However, after the conveyor belt caught fire, it melted and the burning rubber dripped fire down onto some of the surrounding buildings, Cerasoli added.

The fire chief said the tower suffered heavy damage while a good portion of the building had fire and smoke damage. However, Cerasoli couldn’t say whether the building was destroyed.

After knocking down the flames, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue had crews remain on scene for a few hours just to make sure there weren’t any flare ups. Also, workers from Atmos and the Yampa Valley Electric Association responded to ensure there were no gas or electricity issues.

Peak Ready Mix, Asphalt and Aggregates is a certified supplier of construction materials across the Western Slope.

In addition to Steamboat Springs Fire, Steamboat police and West Routt Fire also responded to the call.

Cerasoli said that with large fires like this, the department often calls in neighboring departments for help and to make sure resources are available in case there happens to be another call at the same time.