An explosion in South Jordan triggered an emergency response on Wednesday, leading to the unfortunate discovery of a body at the scene. According to ABC4, the South Jordan Fire Department was dispatched to a significant two-alarm fire around 3 p.m., and fire suppression efforts were still active as of about 6 p.m., after which one individual was reported missing from the affected residence which sustained significant damage from the incident, as neighboring homes also faced moderate damage and were evacuated as a precaution.
After a tense, hours-long search amidst the debris and chaos the missing family member's body was recovered, reflecting a grim end to an already harsh day for the community details of which were shared by a resident, "She felt as though someone had hit the garage door, and as soon as she walked out, she saw a huge plume of smoke in the air," the resident’s husband said, as per KUTV.
West Jordan Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Lessner addressed the difficulty faced by fire crews due to the complex nature of the fire and the heavily damaged structure, saying, "We're still working through every angle and every option to identify where the other individual may be," as obtained by KUTV. Fire investigators were reportedly on the scene to determine the cause of the blast, while the surrounding homes also showed visible damage, and local police took precautionary measures to evacuate nearby homes.
As reported by KSL Newsradio, the scene of the explosion was captured on video by South Jordan resident Lorie Benson, demonstrating the extent of the damage. Benson’s footage reveals the aftermath as residents and officials tried to make sense of the destruction and figure out the day that had turned drastically, some people had their lives irrevocably altered.
