SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — No injuries were reported following a fire at an abandoned house late Friday night in Salt Lake City’s Central City neighborhood.
Crews responded about 10:30 p.m. to an abandoned home at 644 E. 300 South, where firefighters arrived to find flames “coming through the roof,” Salt Lake City Fire Division Chief Dan Walker said.
About 40 firefighters battled the blaze from outside the home and extinguished the fire in about 45 minutes, Walker said. Crews then entered the home and confirmed no one was inside, he said.
The house has been abandoned for about 15 years, Walker said, noting there was no gas or power to the home. However, a nearby power line was down when fire crews arrived, likely caused by the fire, he said.
“It was an active line that crossed the fence, and it was sparking [and] noticed quite quickly,” Walker said. “So we kept all the firefighters away from that area.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Walker said.
Brent York told Gephardt Daily he called 911 after witnessing flames coming from the back of the home and into the roof.
“It was really intense,” York said. “[Flames] were shooting at least 25 feet above the house.”
He also described hearing “electrical pops” from the downed power line on the left side of the house.
York said the home had been abandoned for some time but often has been occupied by squatters.
“There’s a problem with the homeless people always going down there,” he said. “They camp out on the front porch. I’ve seen a couple people go around the back side.”
