VINEYARD, Utah — A fire tore through a field near a development in Vineyard over the weekend, coming close to several homes and prompting a quick community response.
“I was convinced my house was gone,” Vineyard resident Jared Kalama said.
Kalama was about 20 minutes away in Spanish Fork getting his car serviced when he got an urgent call from his daughter, who was out of town. She called because their security system kept notifying them about it, Kalama said.
"Then I see a big plume of black smoke,” he said. "At that point, I assumed that my house had gone up in the fire.”
His daughter had been watching their security footage in real time and saw the flames coming toward their house.
"The thoughts that were going through my mind is: 'Where is me and my family gonna stay?'” he explained. "I really thought my house was gone."
He said neighbors jumped in to help and used garden hoses to stop the fire at the edge of his yard.
“My neighbors, the fire department — they saved my house," Kalama said.
A neighbor’s camera captured the intensity of the flames, which Kalama says were towering above rooftops.
"The flames that I had seen in his footage that he sent me was reaching higher than the house. Probably almost 50 feet high," he said.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office said the fire impacted properties, but that no homes were damaged.
"Yesterday’s fire in the Holdaway Fields Development was a powerful reminder of the strength and spirit of the Vineyard community,” the City of Vineyard said in a statement on Sunday. "Thanks to swift action by first responders, vigilant neighbors, and heroic residents, the fire was contained without injury or loss of homes—a testament to what happens when a community stands united."
Among those who stepped in was NFL player and Vineyard resident Danny Sorensen, who used a skid steer to create emergency fire lines.
"Our neighbors rallied and all pitched in. Vineyard is blessed to have courageous and compassionate people willing to jump in. Danny’s actions significantly helped our firefighters and kept our families safe,” Mayor Julie Fullmer said in Sunday’s statement.
As for the Kalama family, they’re back home and grateful for the people who protected it.
"Thankfully, we get to stay home,” Kalama said.
As of Sunday, fire crews continued to monitor the area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Officials are asking residents to remain alert and follow fire safety guidelines this summer.
