MILLCREEK, Utah, July 14, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Firefighters responded to Millcreek’s fourth working structure fire in about 36 hours early Tuesday after a resident awoke to the smell of smoke around 3:30 a.m. and discovered a garage fire at a home near 3365 E. Birch Circle.
Unified Fire Authority Battalion Chief Jon Wilde said the homeowner opened the door to the garage and encountered heavy flames and smoke. He called 911 from a balcony and safely escaped the residence.
Firefighters arrived to find the garage heavily involved and mounted an aggressive attack that kept the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes. The cause remains under investigation.
“It’s been a busy about 36 hours here in Millcreek,” Wilde said. “This is Millcreek’s fourth working fire” during that period.
Wilde said investigators have found no common factor linking the recent fires.
The string of incidents has kept firefighters working at a demanding pace, although Wilde said a shift change Monday morning brought in fresh personnel.
Photo: Gephardt Daily/Samuel Price
“We’re calling for more resources right off the bat if we do get a working fire… just because of that heat,” Wilde said.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for minor heat exhaustion but was not transported to a hospital.
Unified Fire Authority was assisted by Salt Lake City Fire and South Salt Lake Fire. Crews remained at the scene Tuesday morning extinguishing hotspots and investigating the fire.
