Fire destroys Ivins home, leaves woman in critical condition

Thick smoke continues to billow from a home as it nearly burns to the ground in Ivins, Utah, Oct. 27, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

IVINS — A fire in Ivins Saturday left a woman critically injured, a house destroyed and a family displaced.

Smoke can be seen billowing from a structure fire involving a residence in Ivins, Utah, Oct. 27, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Lynn Nelson, St. George News

Shortly after noon, firefighters responded to the structure fire on the 220 East block of 855 South involving a single-story home with flames visible from the rear of the residence. Initial reports claimed one person was possibly still inside.

Upon arrival, the first engine crew found heavy smoke coming from the kitchen area at the rear of the home. Upon approach, firefighters found the entire back of the residence fully engulfed in flames, Santa Clara-Ivins Fire Department public information officer Steve Ikuta said.

The firefighters’ first task was to find anyone still inside the home, Ikuta said. While searching the inside of the house, fire crews were advised that one occupant was able to evacuate the building on her own but was seriously injured.

The woman was initially treated by paramedics at the scene and then quickly transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in critical condition, Ikuta said.

Multiple fire engines and ladder trucks respond to a structure fire involving a residence in Ivins, Utah, Oct. 27, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Meanwhile, the St. George Fire Department was called in to assist.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from the inside of the residence until the rapid spread of the fire engulfed the roof, which was threatening to collapse. At that point, fire crews exited the structure and took a defensive position, Ikuta said, explaining that it was too dangerous for them to remain inside of the building.

“That fire moved and then spread very rapidly from there,” Ikuta said.

The department’s ladder trucks directed streams of water into the center of the residence through the now-collapsed roof from above, continuously fighting the flames to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.

After more than an hour, the fire was extinguished. For several hours afterward, crews remained on scene to look for hot spots and smoldering embers that could potentially reignite at a later time.

A Home is destroyed after a fire breaks out in a residence in Ivins, Utah, Oct. 27, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The home was completely destroyed by the blaze. The American Red Cross’ disaster action team was contacted and responded to help with immediate, short-term disaster-relief services for the family as part of a regular service the organization provides when a fire or other disaster displaces a family or individual.

As of the time this report published, Ikuta said the cause of the fire was undetermined.

Emergency personnel from Santa Clara-Ivins Fire Department, Santa Clara-Ivins Ambulance, St. George Fire Department and Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department responded and contained the scene, while Gold Cross Ambulance sent a crew who remained on scene for medical support.

This report is based on statements from police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings

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4 Comments

  • KR567 October 28, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    I love seeing these pictures for the simple reason it offends you

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