Volunteer firefighters brave early morning cold saving homes near house ‘fully enveloped’ by flames

Smoke can be seen rising from a residential fire in Pine Valley, Utah, Nov. 20, 2018 | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

PINE VALLEY — Several volunteer firefighters braved the early morning cold to prevent a propane tank from exploding and save nearby homes after a fire broke out in an unoccupied residence early Tuesday morning.

A smoky morning haze caused by a house fire stretches across the Pine Valley skyline early Tuesday morning, Nov. 20, 2018 | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

Smoke from a home located at 504 S. Lloyd Canyon Drive in the still slumbering town of Pine Valley could be seen trailing in the air for miles, as far away as the town of Veyo.

Former Pine Valley Fire Chief Gerald Schiefer told St. George News that when they arrived, the house was “fully enveloped” in flames.

“The only thing that we focused on was being able to stop the spread of the fire.”

Fire had already spread to the brush and weeds around the home, the former chief said.

Schiefer, who was chief of the Pine Valley Fire Department for 10 years, now serves as an EMT and was the first to arrive on site and make the call to dispatch requesting assistance.

Firefighters tamp down flames to save nearby homes at early morning house fire, Pine Valley, Utah, Nov. 20, 2018 | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

Facing temperatures in the upper teens, firefighters went clear around the residence creating a perimeter, Schiefer said, and stopped the spread of the fire to nearby homes and a propane tank just a few feet away from the residence that was also in danger of igniting before they were able to tamp down the flames.

Firefighters from Brookside, Pine Valley and Central all responded to the call that ended up being a total loss for the 1,300-square-foot residence. Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were also on scene to assist with the investigation and help contain the area, keeping the roadway safe for firefighters.

“It was completely gone,” Schiefer said about the residence, adding that they didn’t have any idea at this point how the inferno began. “There was nothing we could do.”

No cars were at the home at the time of the fire, but neighbors reported seeing someone staying at the house about a week ago.

Firefighters tamp down flames to save nearby homes at early morning house fire, Pine Valley, Utah, Nov. 20, 2018 | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

Some residents of the neighborhood were wondering whether they should evacuate, Schiefer said, but were told there was no need to be alarmed thanks to the quick action of firefighters cutting down the flames.

It took a few hours to completely snuff out all of the smoldering coals, and firefighters remained on scene until the entire area could be secured from any future flareups.

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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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews | @andrewjpinckney

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • mmsandie November 20, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    Great pics, it’s har$ living 8n that area with little water supply. Anyone can break in and stay orowners do ,t even live nearby and often are Vegas owners.l

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