ST. GEORGE — The St. George Fire Department was called out to a structure fire at the Amira Resort, located at 1999 West Canyon View Drive, just before 11 p.m. on Saturday.
Guests called 911 after smoke from the ventilation ducts triggered fire alarms. Fire crews found smoke billowing into the sky from the roof of apartment 6, situated in the property’s eastern-most building.
There were no injuries, but some guests had to evacuate the building after the utilities were shut off. They were relocated to other apartments in the complex, which has about 50 units.
“Our crews checked the buildings but couldn’t find the fire,” said St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker. “So, we started removing sheetrock from between the walls, and checking the attic. We found that the fire started between the walls, behind a gas fireplace.”
Stoker said firemen found the source of the fire to be between the walls, near the gas fireplace. Yet they weren’t sure whether the fireplace was to blame or electrical wiring.
“We’re still investigating the cause of the fire,” Stoker said. “The damage to apartments 6 and 7 was extensive. They’re separated by a cinder block wall, which extends up into the attic. It’s not a true firewall, because it doesn’t extend all the way up. Still, it prevented the fire from spreading to other units.”
Stoker estimated that the fire had been burning for a few hours before the guests in unit six called 911.
Apartments 4 and 5 sustained some smoke and water damage as well, as the water line in apartment 6 broke.
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