LAVERKIN – Firefighters quickly doused a blaze that engulfed a backyard outbuilding Saturday night in LaVerkin.
Shortly after 5 p.m., fire crews with the Hurricane Valley Fire District were dispatched to a home on 500 West near Center Street where a structure fire was reported.
“We were coming across the LaVerkin Bridge and saw smoke and flames,” HVFD Capt. Steve Christian said. Worrying that it was a major fire, Christian called for additional fire units out of Hildale and Leeds.
However, once they arrived on scene, Christian and his crew discovered the fire was in the backyard of the home their were responding to.
What they found in the backyard was a two-story outbuilding engulfed in flames.
Additional fire units were canceled and fire was quickly extinguished, Christian said, which was good because the burning structure was next to a detached garage and also close to the house.
Neighbor Mel Gifford said the structure that caught fire was originally used as an observatory by a former homeowner. Now it appeared to be used for storage, as well as an apartment.
“It appears that there’s been an individual living in there,” LaVerkin Police Officer Amber Crouse said.
Whoever was living there will need to find a new place to live, at least for the time being, because the outbuilding was considered a “total loss” by Christian.
Gifford said he was in his front yard and noticed black smoke coming from his neighbor’s backyard when he glanced that way.
“It was completely engulfed,” he said. His wife was among those who called 911 once they noticed the fire.
No major injuries were reported in connection with the fire. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and under investigation, Christian said.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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