OGDEN, Utah — An early morning fire destroyed parts of an Ogden apartment building Tuesday, forcing many to look for a new place to live.
The fire was first reported around 5:45 a.m. in the area of 2200 Jefferson Avenue. Crews arrived on the scene and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the basement of the three-story apartment building.
Firefighters were able to knock down the fire, but not before it had moved into the attic and come through the roof.
“They were aggressive, made sure the units were evacuated and started looking for the fire," said Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Mike Slater.
No injuries to residents or the 20 firefighters were reported, although six residents were displaced due to the blaze.
"All of our stuff will be okay. We’ve already had our management here and everything, and they say we might not be able to stay in the unit at all,” said resident Trenton Martinez.
One woman who just moved into the building will now have to look for other living arrangements.
“I was actually happy to get the apartment," said Angel Mason. "So, finally got into a place and now I lost it and everything in it, I don’t know. You can always rebuild, at least no lives were lost as far as in my apartment.”
In addition to the residents being displaced, five dogs and two cats were lost in the fire.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but the fire marshal's office said the building may be a total loss.
