ST. GEORGE – The occupants of a home on 1400 North in St. George were displaced following a fire early Sunday morning.
The St. George Fire Department responded to the report of a house fire in the area of 1570 West and 1400 North around 12:45 a.m., St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said.
Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the occupants of the home had begun to smell smoke coming from the master bedroom. The other occupants, consisting of at least two other individuals, went to investigate and found smoke coming out of the bedroom.
The landlord, who lived in the master bedroom, was not home at the time and had locked the door. Unable to open the door, one of the occupants went outside to the master bathroom window on the west side of the home and was able to open it.
“When he opened that bathroom window, he stated there was a lot of smoke and eventually flames that were coming out of the window,” Stoker said.
In addition to the two occupants who had been at home at the time, Stoker said five dogs and three cats were also kept at the home. The dogs were able to get out of the home while the cats were locked inside the master bedroom.
Once fire crews arrived at the scene they began to put out the fire from the outside and then forced their way into the locked room and extinguished the fire inside.
Part of combating the fire involved tearing out part of the drywall in the master bedroom and bathroom, as well as tearing down a part of the ceiling where the fire had gotten into the attic.
“There was some extensive damage to the master bedroom and the bathroom, probably estimated at $30,000 to $40,000 Stoker said.
In addition to the fire damage, the structure sustained heavy water and smoke damage that required the relocation of the house’s residents for the evening.
The Red Cross responded to the scene to render aid, though Stoker said he was unaware as to whether or not the home’s occupants took advantage of the aid.
Despite the damage to the home, the overall structure remains stable and can be repaired, Stoker said. He also credited the master bedroom’s door being closed for keeping the blaze contained.
“With that door being closed, it was able to keep that fire isolated to that master bedroom,” Stoker said.
Asking homeowners to close their doors before going to bed or leaving home is actually a safety tip pushed by fire officials, he said.
No injuries to firefighters or the home’s occupants were reported in connection with the fire. However, the three cats locked in the bedroom did not survive.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown, Stoker said.
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