Officials at Peak Ready Mix aim to have the company’s concrete mixing plant in Steamboat Springs back up and running again by April after a fire closed the facility in January.

General Manager Dolan Raby was thankful no one was hurt in the blaze, which he said likely will impact the plant’s operations at least through the winter.

“We will continue to service our customers,” Dolan said. “That’s the most important thing for us is taking care of our people and keeping our own people safe. They are safe, and so we’re going to keep going.”

Smoke and flames poured out of the concrete plant shortly after the fire broke out Jan. 19. The fire is believed to have started with a faulty conveyor belt that hauls rock and sand that’s being stored in silos until the materials are needed for mixing.

Steamboat Springs Fire, Steamboat police and West Routt Fire all responded to the blaze. By the time they arrived, the upper part of the building was fully engulfed.

Shortly after the fire had been put out, Steamboat Fire Rescue Chief Chuck Cerasoli said the part of the building that included the silos and the conveyor belt had suffered heavy damage, while a good portion of the building also sustained fire and smoke damage.

While the damage was significant, the good news is that the fire happened during one of the slower parts of the year for Peak Ready Mix, and Dolan hopes the repair work will be complete when things start to pick back up this spring.

“We’re hoping to have it ready by April, and that’s going to be hoofing it,” he said. “We acquired a demolition permit for the demolition of the top section of the plant. Once we get that off and get a new conveyor in there, we can start batching again.”

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

According to Dolan, the business is currently loading out of its Craig plant and has also gotten some help from United Companies, which is next door.

Dolan said Peak Ready Mix has other locations in Northwest Colorado and that the employees at the Steamboat plant are being used at those sites while repairs are underway.

“We obviously can’t load out (at the plant) because it has been condemned,” Dolan said. “The United Companies has been gracious enough to help us when we need to load, and we load on theirs. Other than that, we also try to haul off of our Craig plant when we can too, because that’s where all the trucks have been moved. We are trying to fall out of Craig when we can and while we’re in the rebuilding process.”

To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.

Do not sell my personal information

Winter Park - Granby - Grand County