ST. GEORGE — Fire engines and ladder trucks lined a residential street off 2450 South on Thursday after a resident in the area noticed smoke coming from their neighbor’s basement window.
At 12:45 p.m. firefighters and officers responded to a structure fire reported at a residence on South 2160 East, less than a mile east of River Road in St. George, involving a three-story, single-family home that reportedly had thick smoke coming from a basement window.
St. George Battalion Chief Darren Imlay told St. George News that firefighters could see thick, black smoke while they were still en route, and crews arrived to find flames coming from the open basement window that had blown out from the heat.
The occupants were not home when the fire started, Imlay said.
The flames were already extending up the wall into the second-story window, he said, where one of the panes had cracked from the heat, which allowed the flames to enter the interior of the home. This phenomenon occurs from the heat caused by the fire, and when it reaches a certain temperature, the thermal stress on the glass causes it to break.
Firefighters worked on cooling down the exterior of the structure, while a crew entered the basement to attack the blaze. Another crew went to the second floor where the flames were spreading into the open window. Shortly thereafter, the active flames on both floors were extinguished.
Firefighters continued dousing various hot spots as smoke continued coming from the home, and then began the task of overhauling the multi-story residence in search of burning embers. This included pulling material from the scorched area to extinguish anything still smoldering in between the walls to prevent a reignition that could cause a secondary fire – a task that can take several hours.
The bulk of the damage was in the basement, which sustained fire, smoke and water damage, while the second-floor sustained some fire damage on the interior wall, as well as smoke and water damage. The remaining rooms sustained some damage from the smoke.
The wall on the south side of the structure where the basement fire started sustained extensive damage from the spreading flames.
Large ventilation fans were set up throughout the home to remove any residual smoke still lingering inside.
The fire started in the early afternoon, which tends to be a more active time, and in this case, the chief said, fire crews arrived and started fighting the blaze quickly, thanks to the neighbor’s call to 911.
The cause has yet to be determined, as the fire is still under investigation, Imlay said, and no injuries were reported.
St. George Fire Department responded with three engines, a squad truck and Ladder 21, and the St. George Police Department dispatched several patrol units to secure the scene. Gold Cross also sent two ambulances that remained at the scene in the event they were needed.
Photo Gallery
Firefighters enter basement area during structure fire at a residence on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Firefighters respond to a structure fire at a residence on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Fire engines line street after fire breaks out in the basement of a home on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Fire engines line street after fire breaks out in the basement of a home on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Smoke is visible from a home that caught fire on on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News South wall, basement and second-story of of home is damaged in a structure fire on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Fire and police respond to a structure fire reported at a residence on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Smoke is visible from a home that caught fire on on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News Fire engines line street after fire breaks out in the basement of a home on South 2160 East in St. George, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News 
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