SALT LAKE CITY — No injuries were reported after firefighters have responded to the scene of a 3-alarm apartment fire that burned in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
The fire broke out at The Hillcrest, located at 67 A Street East in the Avenues neighborhood.
Salt Lake City fire officials say all 16 units on the east side of the building with likely remain evacuated overnight, meaning up to 30 residents will be displaced.
The fire was brought under control around 2:30 p.m., but some nearby streets will continue to be blocked off as crews finish up efforts on the scene.
Grace Schofield has been living at The Hillcrest Apartments for the past seven months, in the unit right next to the one where the fire started.
“It was my dream apartment," she said. “All of my books are ruined. My journals, letters from loved ones, beautiful things, like furniture from my grandparents that they brought back from China that holds a special place, is like, pretty trashed. All my plants are covered in ash. Everything's pretty much ruined.”
Many residents who weren’t home when the fire started weren’t able to go in and check on their pets for hours.
“I got really scared because I have a cat in there," said Katarina Duerr. "I'm not sure if she's ok.”
The Salt Lake City Fire Department is still investigating what caused the fire on the fourth-floor northeast corner unit, but it was “accidental," officials said.
“I'm pretty used to living in older spaces that have some history and, you know, have more fragility, but no, I hadn't considered a fire ever happening," said Constance Andreson.
The American Red Cross responded to the fire and will be providing financial assistance and community resources to those affected by the fire.
