MIDVALE, Utah — Nearly two months after a fire ripped through a Midvale apartment complex, displacing hundreds of residents, an official investigation was unable to determine its cause or identify a specific ignition source.
Unified Fire Authority released its report Wednesday on the July 31 fire at the North Union Apartments, and while the department affirmed reports that flames sparked in an interstitial space above the top floor, what ignited the fire is still unknown.
According to the report, the five-alarm fire caused an estimated $65 million in damages.
Overall, nearly 100 firefighters from multiple agencies around the Salt Lake Valley battled the fire, which began at approximately 7:45 a.m. All residents were safely evacuated before the roof collapsed on the fourth floor at 10 a.m.
Displaced residents left numb with few options after Midvale apartment complex fire:
Despite a lack of a confirmed cause, UFA investigators said electrical issues could not be ruled out, as electrical systems existed in the area of the fire's origin. The report noted the absence of sprinkler protection in the concealed spaces where the fire began, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and the severe damage.
Some of the causes that have been eliminated are:
- Lithium-ion/NiCad batteries.
- Spontaneous combustion.
- Hot work/welding/roofing activities.
- Smoking materials.
- Lightning/natural causes.
- Incendiary/arson.
Infrared video below shows intensity of Midvale apartment complex fire:
Although witnesses claimed smoke in the trash chute, investigators found no direct flame damage inside the chute and no significant heat damage.
To compile their report, UFA investigators relied upon witness interviews, drone and surveillance video, as well as fire pattern analysis.
Drone video below shows widespread damage from apartment fire:
