Residential fire in Spanish Fork suspected to have started in the chimney
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- Spanish Fork Fire and EMS responded to a chimney fire in a home Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, 2024. The occupants were a father and son and both safely exited the home.
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- Spanish Fork Fire and EMS responded to a chimney fire in a home Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, 2024. The occupants were a father and son and both safely exited the home.
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- Spanish Fork Fire and EMS responded to a chimney fire in a home Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, 2024. The occupants were a father and son and both safely exited the home.
An early morning fire at a Spanish Fork home on Tuesday has displaced two residents but caused no reported injuries to either.
At about 6:23 a.m. Tuesday, Spanish Fork Fire and EMS were dispatched to a house fire in the 5800 block of South Palmyra Drive. The occupants of the home were a father and son, and the call came in from the father after he found a fire in the chimney in the basement.
The responding units received help from Mapleton Fire, Salem Fire, Springville EMS, Central Utah 911 and Dominion Energy.
According to a press release, “The first unit arrived within minutes of the call being dispatched and saw smoke in the attic area of the home. Upon entering the home, crews found flames upstairs in the wall and were able to control the fire within 40 minutes.”
The fire is suspected to have started in the fireplace chimney, which the father and son had used the night before. However, the cause and circumstances of its spread are under investigation by the Utah County Fire Marshal.
Nick Porter, public information officer for Spanish Fork City, said the flames had somehow gotten out of the fireplace or chimney flue and spread inside of the walls and up to the attic by the time firefighters and EMS arrived. The fire did not spread to other areas of the house, he added.
Officials believe the fire caught this morning and was not burning for very long before the occupants noticed.
The fireplace is a main source of heat in the residence. In the morning, the father went to stoke the fire, which is when he noticed some flames up in the chimney flue. “He tried to put that out on his own before calling,” Porter said.
“Both occupants were able to safely exit the structure and will be staying with family until they can reenter the home,” the press release states. Porter said a wall near the chimney had to be pulled down to find and put out the fire, so it will take a few days for repairs to be made and before the occupants return. However, they have been able to obtain their belongings. Porter said.
Damages are estimated to be $250,000.
The investigation has closed for a different residential fire in Spanish Fork that occurred on Thursday night in the 800 block of South 1240 East. Porter said the cause of the fire was “determined by the Spanish Fork City fire marshal to be a radiant heater too close to a chair in the garage. We would like to remind all residents to keep space and radiant heaters away from couches, chairs, curtains and other objects that can catch fire when subjected to heat.”
Porter said there is no suspicious evidence or signs of foul play for either residential fire.
“This time of year, (there) definitely is an increase in fires for indoor fires,” he said. Fire concerns and risks in winter include too many things running on electrical/extension cords or space heaters too close to certain objects.
To prevent residential fires, Porter advised people to “Use as directed; read the warnings on the extension cords. They’re not meant for continual loads most times.” For breakers and GFCI outlets, he gave the same advice to read the warnings because they are intended to keep people safe.
