SALT LAKE CITY — The actions of a concerned citizen helped Salt Lake City firefighters quickly douse several small fires that had the potential to spread to something much larger.
Moe Egan was heading back to work at the Other Side Village on Thursday when he spotted the first fire just east of Interstate 215 on Indiana Avenue and called 911. But as he kept driving, he saw additional fires, including one creeping dangerously close to the highway.
“If we see something, we say something," said Egan on Friday.
Egan put those words into action.
“And it’s just looking out of the ordinary, so I called the fire department and reported that, and while I’m on the phone with the fire department, I noticed a couple more fires that were a little bit larger right underneath 215," he explained.
Those calls allowed firefighters to get on scene quickly and put out the flames.
“Because of his actions, we were able to get there quickly and put a stop to something that could have become much, much worse," said Glen Mills, Salt Lake City Police Department Chief of Staff.
Not only did Egan call 911, but he shared a description with police of a possible suspect in the fires that appeared to have been intentionally set.
“I saw somebody in the area, and I said, 'You know what, let me call the police and say, Hey, there’s somebody in the area, the only person in the area, and let them figure that out," Egan recalled.
There is no word on if anyone is in custody, but Salt Lake City fire officials said the fires are being investigated and they are following up on several leads.
“We often say that the community can be our greatest partner by acting as our eyes and ears on the front line," Mills said. "That’s exactly what happened in this situation.”
For Egan, it was about much more than simply doing the right thing.
“This is my neighborhood," he said. "This is pretty much my backyard. We got enough fires blazing in our state already.”
