SANDY, Utah, Sept. 5, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Sandy fire crews fought a late Tuesday night blaze that may have started on the lawn of a home and quickly spread into the interior of the structure, leaving it a total loss.
Sandy Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Stuebner said multiple calls came in reporting a structure fire at 8770 S. Ida Lane, along with loud explosions from ammunition going off.
“Upon first arrival, we had a defensive fire, right off the bat. An extensive fire that spread into the home,” Stuebner said.
Firefighters were able to “do a 360 of the home to see where the fire was extending to,” he said.
From that point, Stuebner said, crews were able to get a quick knockdown of the flames by transitioning from a defensive position to an offensive attack. They didn’t hear any ammunition exploding, so they felt it was safe to go into the home.
There were initial reports that the building might be occupied, and vehicles were in the driveway, but fire crews learned that the woman who owned the house had moved out a week earlier and no one was inside.
“This home is being renovated,” Stuebner said. “There was a lot of debris on the front lawn. It looks like the fire started there and went into the home.”
The blaze made its way into the eaves and attic through a swamp cooler and into the walls, he said.
Stuebner said the structure is a total loss and estimated damages at $400,000 to $500,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
No one was injured and no other structures were damaged.
Asked how long crews would be on scene, cleaning up and checking for hot spots, Stuebner said, “I think it’s an all-nighter.”
