LEHI, Utah (KUTV) — A massive fire broke out in Lehi, engulfing an apartment complex under construction near Mountain Point.
The fire was started shortly after 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning, with 28 units from Salt Lake and Utah counties responding to the Traverse Mountain area near Flight Park Road, according to Lehi officials.
About 100 firefighters from Draper to Orem responded to battle the flames, which had spread to several buildings under construction in the area. Officials estimate that about 30,000 gallons of water were used per minute for two hours to contain the fire.
“We were driving on 2100 North and suddenly looked to our right, and there was a huge plume of smoke,” said Lehi resident Noah Clark.
Lehi city officials announced shortly after 12:30 p.m. that the fire had been brought under control. The smoke has subsided considerably but remains visible above the complex as firefighters work to extinguish hot spots.
Lehi Fire Chief Jeremy Craft said crews worked on the fire for several hours, noting that the risk of cranes and buildings collapsing complicated the process.
After the fire was brought under control, authorities said the majority of a four-story structure collapsed. They are still monitoring nearby cranes and any parts of the structure still standing.
“We have a few cranes that have had a lot of heat damage, and so we’re having a hard time getting our employees there because we don’t think those cranes are stable,” Craft said. “There’s no life safety issue at the moment, so we’re not going to create one with our own people. So it could hamper what we do and how quickly we do it.”
Craft said several investigators were on scene, but they were waiting until the scene was safe before beginning their investigation. He said it wouldn’t surprise him if investigators don’t start sifting through the rubble until tomorrow.
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It could take several days for investigators to sift through the rubble to identify the cause and point of origin. Craft said they will likely call in fire dogs to see if accelerants were used.
“It’s an interesting fire,” Craft said. “It’s going to take us a while to figure it out.”
A massive fire broke out in Lehi, engulfing several structures under construction near Mountain Point. (Photo: Shishir Dixit, KUTV)
Because the buildings were in different stages of completion, Craft said they couldn’t easily estimate the cost of the damage. He said investigators will work with the owner to determine that number.
“Residents and motorists are asked to avoid the north end of Traverse Mountain, including Flight Park Road and nearby walking trails, until further notice,” city officials said, adding that Frontage Road is open.
Craft said residents should expect to see smoke in the area for the rest of the day.
“At first my wife was worried the fire would spread,” Clark said. “I wasn’t too worried because it seemed like only the apartment complex was on fire, so I didn’t think it would really spread anywhere.”
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