Salt Lake fire injures man, kills dog

SALT LAKE CITY — Firefighters quickly extinguished a house fire Tuesday, but not before a man was injured and a dog was killed in the blaze.

Firefighters responded to a house at 608 S. 800 West just before 11 a.m. and found large flames and smoke in the front room of the home, said Salt Lake fire spokesman Mark Bednarik. A man, believed to be in his 50s, was found in the living room with burns to his hands and face and singed hair. He was transported to an area hospital by paramedics, Bednarik said.

A "handful" of people were in the home at the time the fire broke out, but all others were able to make it out safely, Bednarik said. A dog, a Labrador mix, was killed in the blaze. The animal was found dead inside the home.

One of the three people who live in the home reported hearing an explosion, Bednarik said. But one of the other residents told firefighters he saw flames coming from an electrical outlet and then told his roommates to evacuate.

Investigators are working to learn what caused the fire, whether there was an explosion and, if so, what caused the blast.

Officials estimate the home suffered up to $70,000 in damage. It is currently uninhabitable.

Volunteers with the Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross are helping the men with clothing, food and shelter.

— Geoff Liesik