WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A fast-moving fire destroyed a home in West Valley City Monday afternoon, but neighbors say quick action helped prevent an even worse outcome.
The fire broke out just after noon on Bend View Drive, sending thick black smoke into the air and drawing a large response from firefighters.
Seventeen-year-old Makena Ostmark lives across the street and was among the first to notice something was wrong.
“Oh my gosh, I think the neighbor’s house is on fire!” her sister’s boyfriend said, calling to tell her family as he was leaving for work.
Ostmark said neighbors quickly came outside and realized there were flames.
“So we all come outside and I see their garage is on fire,” she said. “I know the people who live there and I know a dog lives there.”
Ostmark, a senior at Hunter High School who is training to become a first responder, immediately ran toward the home.
“I’m like, 'Oh my gosh, I need to get someone out of there,'” she said. “So I went and pounded on the door and by the time I got there, it was like engulfed in flames.”
None of the family members who reside there were inside, but the family dog was still in the home. Ostmark and others rushed in and made sure the dog got out safely.
“The dog was out safely, so that’s some good news from this incident,” said West Valley Fire Battalion Chief Brandon Howard.
Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the garage and the roofline of the house.
“Upon our arrival, we had heavy smoke from the garage and from the eaves of the structure,” Howard said.
Video from a nearby UDOT traffic camera also showed the thick black smoke rising into the sky.
Dozens of firefighters and about a half-dozen emergency vehicles responded to the scene. Officials say wind made the fire more difficult to fight and prompted crews to call for additional resources.
“The first alarm came in and then we started to get overwhelmed by the wind, so we upped it to a second alarm for safety,” Howard told reporters on Monday.
Firefighters say there were also small explosions coming from inside the garage when they got there.
“When we arrived, there were a lot of small explosions,” Howard said, “We don’t know what that was. It could have been various things in the garage.”
Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire.
However, the home has been deemed a total loss.
Neighbors say the loss is especially heartbreaking because the homeowners had recently remodeled the house.
“I can’t imagine losing so many important things,” Ostmark said. “They’re such sweet people.”
The homeowners were not at home when the fire started.
Ostmark says when they learned neighbors had rushed in to help, they were just grateful no one was hurt.
“I think everyone’s pretty shaken up,” she said. “But it just shows how we’re able to come together and be there for each other.”
Fire officials say incidents like this are also a reminder for homeowners to check for potential fire hazards.
“No ignition sources that could possibly help a house fire spread,” Howard said. “That’s probably the number one thing we see.”
Firefighters are still investigating what caused the fire.
