KEARNS, Utah, July 6, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Fire crews from three agencies responded to a Kearns neighborhood Friday afternoon after flames burned the backs of four houses while destroying a couple of outbuildings.
The fire started at about 3:30 p.m. in the area of 4000 West and 4820.
Lee Ascarte, Unified Fire Authority Battalion Chief, was in charge of the scene.
“With the heat index like it is, and the homes in close proximity, this could have been a lot worse, Ascarte said. “We were lucky to have a lot of units show up in the first five minutes.”
Ascarte said the call came to dispatch as a fire next to a vehicle, so officials sent a single engine. While he was on the way, Ascarte said he was informed of additional calls saying structures were endangered, so a second alarm was called, with crews responding from the West Valley Fire and West Jordan Fire departments.
“We knocked down the fire,” Ascarte said. “We used all our first alarm and about have our second alarm today. There were no civilian injuries, no injuries to our five members.”
Due in part to issues with the burning power pole and threats of possible explosions, the power and gas companies sent crews to cut those utilities, Ascarte said.
Increased fire danger continues tonight, Ascarte said, not just because of high heat and dry vegetation, but because people may still be shooting off fireworks left over from the July 4th holiday.
“We just ended the legal fireworks, so a lot of people may still think fireworks are still legal in the days after the Fourth holiday. Tonight if you’re lighting fireworks, you’re out(side) of the law.”
