Labgrade - RMGO announces his passing!

[Cameron Lamont]

I just recieved this!!!!



-------------------------------------
This morning our office learned that Alan Albertus, a long-time gun
rights activist from northern Colorado, died in a fire at his home last
night.

Alan (known online as "labgrade") was the creator of the Tyranny
Response Team in 2000. Since that time he (and his wife, Crystal) put
their efforts into building Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the Second
Amendment Sisters. He was a very active RMGO member, sometimes calling
our office on a daily basis.

Alan will be greatly missed, not just by the movement but by myself
personally. He was a close personal friend.

I urge all of you who pray to commit yourself to it this weekend for
Alan's family.

Dudley Brown
Executive Director

Toll-free line 888-874-3006
Direct Office Line 970-842-3006
Mobile Phone 970-380-3006

------------------------------------------
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners
Colorado's Largest Gun Rights Organization
PO Box 3114
Denver, Colorado 80201
Phone & Fax (888) 874-3006
http://www.rmgo.org [email protected]
------------------------------------------

 

[Steve Smith]

Oh no...did his wife survive? Does anyone know where the funeral will be?

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Crap.

 

[Zak Smith]

I mailed Dudley to see if he knew anything. I'll follow up here if hear back.

-z

 

[Steve Smith]

On phone with Dudley now.


I'll let ya'll know when I know...don't overwhelm the man.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I regarded Al as a good friend.

Is Crystal OK?

 

[Steve Smith]

Ok, there is a relief fund for Alan's wife at First Bank. You can find your local First Bank at www.efirstbank.com

The fund is in the name of "Crystal" Albertus.

Crystal is ok, she was at work when the fire happened. The house is destroyed.

 

[fix]

Dear God! What more must this family go though? My prayers are on the way.

 

[Jay Kominek]

http://www.lovelandfyi.com/region.htm

Body found after fire

By Kate Martin
Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

CARTER LAKE

Firefighters recovered a body Thursday afternoon while searching the ruins of a house that had been destroyed by a fire.

Officials declined to release the name of the victim or speculate on how he or she may have died, and they said they would investigate the cause of the fire today.

The fire, at 3608 Ranch Road, transfixed residents of the Carter Lake community.

Neighbors said Alan Albertus, who is listed as the property's owner with the Larimer County Clerk's Office, was inside the home when it caught fire.

Valarie Dunfee, who lives next door, immediately called 911 when she saw the fire. Her husband, Chad, meanwhile, dashed outside to try to save the man trapped inside.

"We knew our neighbor was in there," Valarie Dunfee said. "Chad and I tried our hardest to get him out, but we couldn't."

Dunfee, struggling to hold back tears, said she and her husband got to the house as soon as they could, but the flames were too strong.

"We couldn't go in, the fire was so intense," Valarie Dunfee said.

"The smoke was too intense; we yelled for him to get out," said Chelsea Dunfee, the Dunfees' 14-year-old daughter.

The Dunfees had lived next door to Albertus for seven or eight years, Valarie Dunfee said.

Don Waldburger, owner of the Carter Lake Marina, said he heard about the fire over the park radio. When he looked outside the front door of the marina store, he saw a column of black smoke about a mile away that reached to the low-lying clouds above.

"That building was just engulfed," Waldburger said at the scene. "The guys came over and tried to put this out themselves."

But the fire grew too big, too quickly for the neighborhood firetruck and its crew. A column of flame and smoke reached high into the sky where Albertus' house once stood.

Loveland and Berthoud firefighters were dispatched to the scene about 4:10 p.m. When firefighters arrived 12 minutes later, they determined it unsafe to enter. Firefighters concentrated on protecting nearby homes, an official statement said.

Firefighters also suspected gunpowder and ammunition were in the home.

"I heard popping from the marina," Maggie Waldburger, wife of the marina owner, said. "I thought there was going to be an explosion, like a propane tank or something."

Residents of the neighborhood stood in the near-freezing temperatures, watching the fire as black and white smoke roiled overhead.

The sheriff ordered an evacuation of the homes within a 220-yard radius via emergency phone notification.

Ultimately, no other structures were affected.

The fire was under control by 6:45 p.m., and firefighters explored the skeleton of the house that remained.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but officials said it was thought to be accidental.

Teresa Albertus, wife of Alan Albertus, was not at home when the fire started.

Sheriff's officials said they would release the identity of the man after an autopsy today.

 

[fix]

Mods, please float this one. With the upcoming downtime and the outages today it should be forced to the top.

 

[Cameron Lamont]

update

Gunpowder, ammunition fuel fatal mobile home fire near Carter Lake
LINK


Created: 4/29/2004 9:18 PM MDT - Updated: 4/30/2004 9:05 AM MDT
LOVELAND - A man died in a mobile home fire near the east side of the marina at Carter Lake in Larimer County Thursday afternoon.

Loveland firefighters say the home in the 3600 block of Ranch Road was fully involved when they responded around 4 p.m.

The Larimer County Coroner's Office will release the victim's name after an autopsy and after next of kin has been contacted.

The firefighting effort was hampered by gunpowder and ammunition that was going off because of the fire. Emergency crews concerned about the danger evacuated nearby residents.

Investigators planned to return to the home on Friday to determine what caused the fire.

 

[Steve Smith]

I'm going to float this because there aren't any Gen Disc Mods around...if they disagree I'll take it down.

 

[Cameron Lamont]

Denver Post

LINK

House fire near Loveland kills 1
Neighbors evacuated as Carter Lake residence burns to the ground

By Jim Kirksey
Denver Post Staff Writer

A house fire at Carter Lake southwest of Loveland destroyed a home Thursday and apparently claimed the life of an area resident, authorities said.

Neighbors were evacuated through the use of reverse-911 due to fears of exploding ammunition in the home, said Cpl. Craig Kern of the Larimer County Sheriff's Department.

The residents of the home at 3608 Ranch Road were identified as Alan and Theresa Albertus. One body was found in the burned-out home, and Theresa Albertus was reportedly alive at the scene.

The Larimer County coroner was sent to the scene, said Eloise Campanella, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

Bob Skillman, spokesman for the Loveland Fire Department, said the call came in at 4:10 p.m., and arriving firefighters found "the fire was well along."

At 4:22 p.m., the chief in command put the firefighters in a defensive mode because it was too dangerous for them to be inside the structure, he said.

Campanella said it was believed that Albertus kept ammunition and gunpowder in the home.

A neighbor, Valerie Dunfee, said she and her husband saw smoke and flames coming from the house and attempted to get in, but the flames and the smoke were "too intense."

Dunfee said Albertus and his wife were avid hunters, which would explain the presence of ammunition in the house.

She said she was sure at the time that Alan Albertus was inside because he is at home during the day. She heard several propane tanks on the front porch of the burning home explode.

Some men in the rural community where everybody knows everyone else used a small firetruck, generally for fighting small spot fires, at the Albertus home, but they were unsuccessful.

At 4:54 p.m., with only a wall or two of the home still standing, the fire was declared under control.

An autopsy is scheduled for today, said Campanella. The cause of the fire is under investigation, she said.

 

[Preacherman]

Agreed, Steve. Let's keep it on top for a while.

Alan's son is going through a major rejection problem with his transplanted heart at this time, and Alan had been battling major depression problems too. It's tragic that he died this way, to cap it all...

I'll remember Alan in my services on Sunday.

 

[Thumper]

Godspeed, buddy.

 

[TheBluesMan]

Deeply Saddened

I'll add the Albertus family to my prayers.

I trust that any sympathy cards going to his family can be sent to the address in the story above. They'll probably be held at the local post office.

The Albertus Family
3608 Ranch Road
Loveland CO 80537

If anyone has spoken with Dudley and knows of a different address we can send cards to, please post it.

Alan was a part of our family both here and on The Firing Line. He will be greatly missed.


Godspeed, labgrade.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

The only picture of them I could find, and they're facing away from the camera. (Left side, with the dog)

Standing Wolf, do you have a picture of Labgrade so people can connect a face to the name?

 

[cordex]

Another friend gone. My thoughts are with his family.

 

[BHPshooter]

OMG...

This is terribly sad.

Even though I, like many of us, have never met the man, I feel like a family member has died.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those he is survived by.

My next mag full is in memory of you, Alan.

Wes

 

[Henry Bowman]

Flags at half staff.

Taps.



Peace to you.

 

[Black Majik]

Wow, this is sad.

Is this the same guy that had his son recently going back in for heart problems? Poor family.

My heart and prayers go out to the entire family for their troubles.

Godspeed to them.

 

[Kestryll]

I will pray for his family for strength, wisdom and understanding.
May God care for them until they are together again.

 

[Zundfolge]

I met Labgrade and his wife (and dog) at the Colorado THR Get together down at Larry's place ... they were nice people.

 

[Baba Louie]

May Al Rest in Peace.
Prayers for his family... even moreso now.

Oh Labgrade oh Labgrade

 

[fjolnirsson]

Horrible.
I only became acquainted with Alan recently through THR, and can count on my hands the number of times I spoke with him.
Nevertheless, I feel as though I have lost a member of my family.

Godspeed, Alan.
May eternal life be granted unto him, and perpetual light shine upon his soul.