ST. GEORGE — Multiple 911 calls reporting smoke and flames sent fire crews to a burning home just south of Snow Canyon Parkway in St. George late Wednesday.
At 11:30 p.m., the St. George Consolidated Communications Center started to receive multiple calls reporting smoke and flames coming from the back of a manufactured home in the 1300 block of North 11 West in St. George.
St George Fire Chief Robert Stoker told St. George News several neighbors and bystanders called 911, which likely saved the home from being completely destroyed since no one was in the house at the time.
A deluge of fire trucks, engines and a ladder truck responded to the scene to find an active blaze. Fire crews attacked the flames burning through the siding, while another crew attacked the flames quickly spreading into the attic towards the roof.
The active flames extending across the outside of the structure were quickly extinguished, while the fire in the attic took significantly longer, Stoker said, since much of the burning was in areas that were concealed.
When the fire extends into the attic, the array of fuel sources feed the flames that can spread among the wood fairly quickly, and the flames and burning material is often concealed under insulation, Stoker added.
Once the active flames were extinguished, crews were then tasked with checking for hotspots, smoldering materials and burning embers that were still present. If an overhaul is not complete, any areas left unchecked can reignite and cause even more damage. Stoker said the fire appeared to have started on the exterior wall behind the house that was being renovated, so the homeowner was not there.
The exact cause is still being determined, but it appears to be accidental and further investigation is needed to determine how it actually started.
Stoker said the fire was confined to a single home and was not allowed to spread, but the structure itself sustained extensive exterior and interior damage, in addition to the attic and roof of the home, which was severely damaged.
With the home being unoccupied at the time the fire started, the damage and spread of the fire would likely have been significantly worse, Stoker said, if not for the bystanders and neighbors who called 911 to report the blaze.
Firefighting efforts continued for nearly three hours and by 2 a.m., crews were released from the scene.
The St. George Fire Department responded with multiple engines, Ladder 7 and the department’s heavy rescue engine. The St. George Police Department also responded to assist and were first on scene during the incident. No injuries or damage to any surrounding structures were reported.
This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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