SANDY, Utah, June 15, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Sandy residence went up in flames Tuesday afternoon in what fire officials are calling a total loss.
Sandy City Fire battalion chief Clint Stokes told Gephardt Daily that crews arrived on the scene, at 9191 Alvey Lane, shortly after the 1:24 p.m. call came in.
“Right after we got there there were a couple of pretty big explosions,” Stokes said. “Wood and debris probably flew 150 to 200 feet from the home, and there was a mushroom cloud of smoke that was probably 40 or 50 feet high, taller than the house.”
The explosion has been attributed to a large propane tank under the back deck, Stokes said.
“Because of the debris scattered, a tree caught fire, and a neighbor’s shed, and there were spot fires in surrounding yards,” he said. “The siding melted on one neighbor’s house. We were very lucky no one was injured.”
The homeowners were not at the residence, Stokes said.
“We did have a successful dog rescue,” he said. “People are most important, but animals are a close second.”
Stokes estimated the damage at $350,000, and said the residence is about “70% to 80% destroyed.”
As of 4 p.m., he said, the fire was out, but a few smoldering spots remained, and firefighters were trying to determine whether the structure was stable enough for entry to fight the hot spots.
