Latest blaze at abandoned sugar factory raises safety concerns

After a large fire at the abandoned Longmont sugar factory early Christmas morning — the second fire at the building in two years — officials and property owners have raised concerns about the safety and future of the area.

As was the case when a blaze was put out at the location in September 2016, it is not being investigated further because of safety concerns for the firefighters and investigators.

“It’s too dangerous to send anyone in to investigate,” said Molly Cropp, a spokeswoman for the Longmont Fire Department.

In addition to fire and structural dangers, there are also concerns about asbestos in the building.

But the owner of the property, Richard Thomas, said based on the intensity of the fire, he thinks it was set intentionally and was not just a small campfire that got out of control.

“It shocked me to see the size of the fire, and to see the intensity,” he said. “I hope this isn’t somebody practicing for a terrorist attack.”

Thomas said they have had issues in the past with transients or kids exploring the area or building small fires. He said most of the time the kids are just curious, but that they had to scare off a large group of teens dressed in black two weeks ago.

“They just don’t teach boundaries anymore,” he said. “I went to see ‘Star Wars’ and it was bomb this, bomb that. We are overwhelming our kids with war and bombing and terrorism. Nobody learns anything about respecting individual boundaries.”

While Thomas said knowing what started the fire would help, he said he understands why the fire department couldn’t risk it.

“It’s a dangerous place to investigate,” he said.

As for the future of the property, which has been abandoned since 1977, Thomas said he is hoping to get something started on the site soon, and does not see the fire being much of a problem.

“We’re talking to three or four different developers on doing something,” he said. “That building was going to have to be rehabbed anyway. I don’t know that it affects anything in any material way as far as killing a deal or something.”

While it is commonly referred to as the Longmont sugar mill, the factory is actually not within city limits, but is in unincorporated Boulder County. But David Starnes, the redevelopment and revitalization manager for Longmont, said the mill and the surrounding area have been something the city has had its eye on.

“It obviously depends on the property owner,” Starnes said. “But it is an area that the city has looked at and planned for. We would certainly look forward to that and to speaking with him, and we see some opportunity there.”