WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Feb. 7, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — What looked at first like a small kitchen fire kept fire crews busy for more than an hour and a half Tuesday night.
The call came at 11:38 p.m., reporting a kitchen fire at 4140 S. Spring Glen St. (3280 West).
When crews arrived, they found a small fire that had started in a microwave oven and was easily extinguished.
Upon further investigation, and just as most of the firefighters were about to leave, it was discovered that the flames had gotten into the cabinets and inside the wall up to the attic. The crews quickly reassembled
West Valley City Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Fox explained the challenge the firefighters were faced with.
“(The owners) did an extensive remodel and built on top of the old roof. It left a lot of void areas where the fire extended,” he said.
There were so many voids in the roof that smoke was coming out of several sections, first one, then another.
“Three or four areas of the roof were on fire,” Fox said. “It was tough to chase down.”
He said four West Valley and two Unified Fire Authority units were on scene, and it took them an hour and a half to get the blaze under control.
The residents — four adults and three pets — all evacuated safely and there were no injuries, but the home is uninhabitable. The Red Cross is helping the family with accommodations.
Fox estimated the dollar amount of damage at a minimum of $100,000. He said the actual amount would probably be much higher because the structural damage was significant.
