OGDEN, Utah — One person was killed in an early morning house fire that started just after midnight in Ogden on Friday. Four others inside the home were hospitalized with smoke-related injuries.
The first calls for the fire came at 12:09 a.m., with people reporting seeing heavy fire and smoke coming from the front of the home in the 600 block of 3rd Street.
Some of the residents in the home were evacuated with the help of a neighbor before fire crews arrived.
One resident remained unaccounted for after the evacuations and was later discovered by firefighters during a search of the home. The unidentified resident passed away from their injuries at the scene.
One neighbor, Matthew Champion, saw the flames around midnight and came down the street to help. “So I was surprised, and I was shocked because in this neighborhood I’ve never seen a structure fire.”
He said he saw the orange glow of the flames coming from the porch. “I saw the firefighter cutting a hole out of the roof, and there were flames shooting up out of it,” he recalled.
The fire was contained after an hour, although its cause remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross is currently assisting the four displaced residents. Investigators estimate $300,000 worth of damage was done to the home.
Champion said this is a close neighborhood, so while it was a shock, they’re ready to help one another during this difficult time. “It’s surreal,” he said, “It’s someone you know, and it’s someone in your neighborhood, so we keep an eye on each other.”
The neighbors started a GoFundMe to help the family, which can be found here.
