Fire causes $75,000 in damage to west side shopping center

An early morning blaze Friday caused an estimated $75,000 worth of damage to an Old Colorado City strip mall, fire officials reported.

The fire ignited in a stack of cardboard boxes left outside Red Rock Liquors, 3139 W. Colorado Ave., and damaged the roof overhead. Firefighters extinguished the flames and helped several neighboring merchants clear smoke out of their businesses.

The cause remains under investigation, said Lt. Julie Stone, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Springs Fire Department. She noted that investigators found several cigarette butts near the fire's origin.