Two Salt Lake Valley neighborhoods woke up to the smell of smoke on Wednesday after separate overnight house fires in Herriman and Millcreek drew dozens of firefighters and left both homes heavily damaged. The blazes, reported within about 11 minutes of each other, gutted a garage in Herriman and tore through both floors of a Millcreek home. Despite the dramatic scenes, officials reported no injuries in either fire.
Herriman Garage Goes Up, Residents Get Out
Unified Fire Authority crews were first dispatched to Herriman around 12:25 a.m., where they arrived to find a garage fully involved with flames pushing through the roof, according to the Unified Fire Authority. The people inside had already made it out safely by the time firefighters pulled up, but the blaze destroyed several vehicles and sent smoke and water damage into parts of the home’s interior.
Crews stretched three attack lines and went to work, ultimately bringing the fire under control in just over an hour, the agency reported.
Millcreek Two-Story Engulfed, Nobody Home
Less than 11 minutes after the Herriman call, a second alarm sounded, this time in Millcreek near 3524 S. 1100 East. Firefighters arrived to find a fully involved two-story house with heavy fire tearing out from the rear, as reported by KSL.
Crews launched an aggressive exterior attack and quickly knocked the flames down. Officials said no one was inside the home at the time, but the structure still took a major hit, with extensive damage reported on both floors. Investigators were expected to sift through the charred remains later Wednesday morning.
Firefighters Team Up, Investigators Dig In
The Unified Fire Authority said it received mutual aid from Bluffdale, West Jordan, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, and Murray city fire departments, and that Herriman City Police and the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake also assisted on scene, according to the agency’s Facebook update. No injuries were reported in either fire, and the causes in both Herriman and Millcreek remain under investigation.
Herriman’s website notes a statewide fireworks ban and a local prohibition on lighting fireworks through July 21, and city and fire officials urged residents to report illegal fireworks or other hazards to non-emergency dispatch, or to 911 in an emergency. With two serious overnight fires landing almost back-to-back, it is a reminder that one bad spark can give firefighters a very long night.
