SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 20, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City firefighters were expected to be on scene for hours Sunday to guard against possible flare-ups after a stubborn 3-alarm fire in the old Carlton Hotel.
Battalion Chief Dan Walker told Gephardt Daily, crews were called to 150 E. South Temple just before 2 a.m. When firefighters pulled up, they saw smoke and flames pouring from the second floor of the old three story hotel, which was slated for demolition Monday.
Given the intensity of the flames, the decision was made to assume defensive firefighting positions and crews manning seven fire engines, and two-ladder trucks poured water on the flames to keep them from spreading to nearby apartments. Residents had been told to shelter in place and to remain indoors to avoid exposure to the heavy smoke.
Crews used an excavator to knock down walls of the old hotel in order to get water directly on the flames. They appeared to be making good progress, when the blaze picked back up around 8 a.m., once again sending smoke and flames shooting into the air.
Police routed traffic around the fire site as smoke billowed through parts of downtown until mid-morning.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and remains under investigation.
One fire official told Gephardt Daily that it would “take a while to get to the bottom of things” and crews were expected to remain on scene for hours.
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.
