SANDY, Utah, Sept. 2, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — About 30 firefighters battled a grass fire at Granite Park Saturday afternoon after boys playing with fire lost control of their flame games.
The fire grew to about 10 acres before it could be extinguished, and crews will be on site through the evening to make sure winds don’t whip up any hidden sparks, Sandy Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Stuebner told Gephardt Daily.
The fire was called in by a South Salt Lake Fire Department battalion chief who lives in the area and saw the blaze.
“He was able to radio it in, and once we had the appropriate resources to respond, we went ahead and did an offensive attack on the south flank, to prevent it from getting into Dimple Dell Park,” Stuebner said.
No structured were threatened, but there were many nearby, so smaller trucks with limited water were used to access narrow residential streets, he said.
A sudden wind shift threatened firefighters’ safety, “So we had to be aware of that situation, and make sure firefighters weren’t caught,” Stuebner said.
The fire’s proximity to dense scrub oak, which is highly flammable, also added potential for more trouble, he said. But crews from the Sandy Fire Department, Unified Fire Authority and Murray Fire Department were able to prevail, and will be taking precautions through the night to make sure the fire does not restart, Stuebner said.
Several power poles were damaged by the flames, and power company officials were on the scene, he said.
“We are getting word that we had a young boy out playing and it kind of got away from him,” Stuebner said of the fire’s origin.
“We don’t know if they were playing with lighters or matches, but we got word it was kids playing with a lighting source. Investigators are looking into that, and will make sure it is handled appropriately.”
