ORCHARD MESA, Colo. (KKCO) - Fire crews respond to a fully engulfed garage fire on 32 Road, but their customary quick response was a little late.

"At least eight to 10 minutes," says, Kevin Colony with the volunteer Central Orchard Mesa Fire Department. When the page went out firefighters rushed in, only to find everything shut down. Colony says, "We found that all of our power was out at the fire station."

Colony says everything from garage doors to the radios were inoperable. "Being the first officer and first person responding I didn't know who I had coming, I was unaware of anybody else even coming to the scene with me," says Colony.

A blown transformer at the Orchard Mesa Substation left hundreds in the dark including the fire department. Colony says, "Been there like I say about six to eight years and I haven't seen it before."

Because of the delay Central Orchard Mesa called Clifton Fire to assist, and the Palisade Fire Department also responded to the call. Normally a fire station would have a generator for situations just like this. Colony says, "We have no backup. We are volunteer fire department on a very low budget."

Nobody was injured in the fire but crews say, in some situations, a delay of 10 minutes could mean life or death. "I'm not saying we could have saved a lot inside here because it was fully involved before we ever even got the page but it could make a lot of difference especially if a life was concerned," says Colony.

A destroyed garage for the home owners and a stark reminder that things could have been a lot worse. The Central Orchard Mesa Fire Department relies on taxes from the Central Orchard Mesa Fire Protection District, grants and donations to keep it going.