Residents displaced when fire damages 20 apartment units

WASHINGTON TERRACE, Weber County — Residents of 20 apartment units were displaced Tuesday afternoon by a fire that raged through their building.

Eight of the apartments were destroyed and the other units were damaged, but no one was hurt, said Washington Terrace Fire Department deputy chief Alan Mills.

The damage was confined to building A of the Lake Park Apartment complex, 4950 S. 350 East. The four other buildings in the complex were untouched.

Mills said the fire spread through the attics of the apartments and moved quickly because there were no fire breaks between units. Firefighters were on scene for several hours.

"There were several flare-ups," Mills said. "As we made progress, the fire extended and continued to smolder."

The state fire marshal's office was investigating the fire Tuesday night but had not yet determined a cause. A damage estimate also was unavailable.

Families and groups of students who lived in the building were assisted by the Red Cross, which helped provide temporary housing.