Crews battle super-heated fire in Bountiful

BOUNTIFUL, Utah, June 29, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Firefighters responded to a structure fire early Friday that left a Bountiful residence a total loss.

A crew from South Davis Metro Fire was called just after midnight to 958 N. 200 West.

“We were at an abandoned home with the majority of the fire located in the basement,” said Fire Chief Jeff Bassett, South Davis Metro Fire.

Bassett explained that many older homes, including from the 1950s or ’60s, were built with full cement basements.

“Those basement fires, when we get into those that really have a solid foundation, that structure really holds in the heat and makes it more hazardous than a normal structure is…. Those are very high risk fires due to the amount of heat that stays trapped within the basement,” he said.

To enter the house, firefighters first had to pull down plywood used to board it up.

“They were pulling plywood off,” Bassett said. “They got on the roof, made a ventilation hole in the roof, started letting some of that super-heated gas out.”

“Crews took some time to ventilate, knock the fire down from the inside, then work their way inside the house.”

No immediate evidence was found to suggest squatters in the house, Bassett said. Gas to the building had been shut off at some point, he said, but electricity remained active. Officials did cut the power after responding to the fire.

“This will be a total loss on the residence,” Bassett said. “At the end of the day it’s a good outcome with no injuries to residents and firefighters.”