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Navigators' Cooke loses belongings in Boulder blaze

Published: Oct. 26, 2007

Already facing a challenging jobsearch, Navigators Insurance rider Matt Cooke now has another struggleon his hands — replacing his belongings after an early-morning fire guttedhis Boulder, Colorado, condominium.The fire at the Gold Run Condominium Complex, which houses a large numberof University of Colorado students, broke out near 3 a.m. Friday morning.Cookesaid he was having a fitful night of sleep, worrying about his prospectsfor the 2008 season, when he smelled smoke.“I thought it was maybe lightning or fireworks, and then I said, ‘Let'sthink about that,’” Cooke told Boulder’sDaily Camera. “I figured I better get the hell out of here.”Cooke said he thought the blaze might have been started on the building’sfirst floor, where a neighbor had placed an unconnected propane tank nextto a tiki torch.“I think the hose was undone from the grill and one of their tiki torchesfell and hit the propone tank and shot fire everywhere,” said Cooke, whoseunit was total loss. “When I went downstairs the kid [who lived in thefirst-floor condo] was running around like a chicken with its head cutoff. There were definitely some drunk college kids involved, and it definitelyhad something to do with the propane tank.”Cooke said his third-floor unit bore the brunt of the blaze, with windsblowing flames in the direction of the condo he shared with a roommate.Cooke lost his team issue Colnago, three pairs of Zipp wheels, an SRMpower meter, two pairs of custom D2 shoes, two helmets, six sets of Navigatorsteam kits and several pairs of Rudy Project sunglasses, as well as valuableitems like his passport and laptop.“When I first left, I grabbed my wallet and put my shoes on, thinkingI’d be back in 20 minutes,” Cooke said. “I thought maybe it was some sortof prank. Then I opened the front door, and the outdoor balcony was filledwith smoke. I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face. I literally hadto feel my way along the wall, down the stairs.”Cooke said that he didn’t have his own renter’s insurance, noting thathis roommate owned the condo. Cooke said he is still uncertain whetherhis roommate's homeowner's insurance will cover his own losses as well.For now, Cooke said he expects to move in with Navigators teammate PhilZajicek, but depending on his job prospects for '08, he might haveto temporarily move in with his family in the Washington D.C area.“I have the clothes I am wearing now,” Cooke said. “I went to Targetthis morning and bought some underwear and socks. Other than that, I havenothing.”