UPDATED: Firefighters battle fire at Provo construction site where new apartments were being built
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- Firefighters respond to a fire Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at a construction site at 1422 E. 1600 South in Provo.
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- The aftermath of a fire in south Provo is pictured Saturday, Jan. 8, 2025.
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- Firefighters respond to a fire Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at a construction site at 1422 E. 1600 South in Provo.
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- Provo Power utility crews respond to downed power lines near a construction site where a fire erupted Saturday morning, Feb. 8, 2025.
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- Wood-framed apartment structures burn in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Provo.
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- Firefighters respond to a fire Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at a construction site at 1422 E. 1600 South in Provo.
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- The aftermath of a fire in south Provo is pictured Saturday, Jan. 8, 2025.
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- Firefighters respond to a fire Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at a construction site at 1422 E. 1600 South in Provo.
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- Firefighters respond to a fire Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at a construction site at 1422 E. 1600 South in Provo.
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- Firefighters continue to put out a fire in south Provo on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2025.
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- Firefighters continue to put out a fire in south Provo on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2025.
An investigation is underway into what caused a Provo construction site where new apartments were being built to erupt into flames early Saturday morning.
Provo Fire & Rescue said firefighters responded around 3 a.m. Saturday to initial reports about a large blaze near 1600 South and State Street.
Capt. Sam Armstrong said three of the four buildings of the new four-story framed apartments that were under construction were burned in the fire, which reportedly sparked in one of the structures and spread to two others. All three reportedly are a total loss.
The fourth building was salvaged but was said to have endured minor smoke damage.
Officials are estimating around $4.5 million in damages.
The fire also prompted a response from crews in neighboring Springville and Mapleton.
No one was injured, but while firefighters were tackling the fire, multiple power transmission lines along State Street fell and caught on fire, resulting in extensive power outages impacting nearly 5,000 residents.
“The fire was hot enough that multiple high power wooden poles caught fire,” Armstrong told the Daily Herald in a text message.
Eli Konchar, a Provo Power worker who initially responded to the downed lines, said one line fell across State Street.
“The main goal was to get that off and isolate everything else,” Konchar told the Daily Herald at the scene mid-morning Saturday. “All the poles were on fire too, so we were just trying to get everything safe so that we could get in there and put new ones in the ground.”
By 5:20 a.m., electrical service had been restored to all but 20 people, Provo Power said in a social media post.
According to the agency’s outage map, mostly all electrical service had been restored by 9 a.m. A second outage occurred around 11 a.m. while electrical poles were replaced, according to a subsequent social media post by Provo Power. By 6 p.m. Saturday, Provo Power said all service had been restored.
Treeside Charter School, whose building sits within close proximity of where the fire happened, was unharmed by the incident. However, Rachel Brunson, the school’s executive director, said in a Facebook group that they were monitoring air quality and looking into ensuring that the facility will be safe for students and faculty to return Monday.
Road closures also were in effect along State Street between approximately 1100 South and 1800 South as crews worked to repair the damage.
The road had reopened by 8:30 a.m.
The site was visibly smoldering at 11:30 a.m., and a fire crew remained on the scene.
Armstrong said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is under investigation.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Denver Rocky Mountain Region announced Saturday afternoon that one of its certified fire investigators was responding to the scene.
“It’s still too early to say what caused the fire, but investigators will look at all possible causes, including arson,” Provo Police Department Public Information Officer Janna-Lee Holland told the Daily Herald.
While the Provo Fire Marshal will take the lead on looking into what caused the fire, the Provo Police Department also has asked the public for any witness video, information or tips they may have about the massive inferno.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Reece Himmelsbach at 801-852-6268.
