SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Mar. 6, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City firefighters are on the scene of a 2-alarm blaze Monday morning in downtown Salt Lake City.
The fire, which broke out in an unoccupied building at 704 S. 400 West, was first dispatched about 12:59 a.m.
As crews were arriving the roof of the fully-involved structure was already beginning to collapse.
Chad Jepperson, with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, said firefighters assumed “defensive positions,” a tactic designed to minimize risk to personnel while keeping the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
A security guard who said he patrolled the property at the old All Weather Products building , told Gephardt Daily, the structure, which he said was slated for demolition, was often frequented by transients, including members of Salt Lake City’s homeless community seeking shelter from the winter weather.
Jepperson said there were no reports of injuries in the overnight firefighting efforts which are expected to last for several more hours.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, although arson investigators have been called to the scene.
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.
