MILLCREEK, Utah, July 28, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City officials have confirmed the city owns the Millcreek land next to the Willow Glen Apartments, which burned on Friday, permanently displacing 40 to 50 residents.
The fire was caused when a worker mowing the overgrown SLC-owned lot hit a rock, causing a fire that burned the lot and 24 units of the adjacent apartments, according to Unified Fire officials.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and SLC Public Works director Laura Briefer released a statement Monday.
“First and foremost, I’m incredibly grateful there were no serious injuries associated with this fire, but my thoughts are with the families who are now facing the heartbreak of losing their homes,” Mendenhall said in the news release.
“I also want to thank first responders from the Unified Fire Department, the City of Murray, the City of South Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, and others who helped quickly evacuate the Willow Glen apartments, put out the fire as quickly as possible, and protected so many lives in the process.”
Photo: Gephardt Daily/Monico Garza/SLCScanner
Briefer confirmed the lot’s ownership. She and Mendenhall did not address liability.
“Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) owns and operates the land adjacent to the Willow Glen apartments,” Briefer wrote.
“The land is used as a maintenance yard and houses numerous groundwater wells that comprise some of the valley’s drinking water supply, which is managed by SLCDPU.
“At this time, there is no threat to the drinking water supply in any of the municipalities served by Salt Lake City. I am grateful that there are no serious injuries, but I am deeply saddened about the losses experienced by the Willow Glen community.”
Salt Lake City is cooperating with fire investigators to understand the cause of the fire and the circumstances that led to the loss of nearby property, the statement says.
“We are awaiting the results of an investigation, and the City will continue to update the public as information becomes available,” the release says.
“Salt Lake City is also coordinating with the responding agencies and seeking opportunities to partner in recovery. For those interested, the City of Millcreek is accepting financial donations for affected families at bit.ly/millcreekfirehelp.”
Photo: Gephardt Daily/Monico Garza/SLCScanner
