Cigarette may be to blame for three-alarm Midvale fire

MIDVALE — Jeremy Foote moved into his new apartment with his wife and 6-month-old child just a week and a half ago.

Wednesday, the Footes had little more than the clothes on their backs, and a few assorted items firefighters were able to recover.

The Footes were among 20 people evacuated early Wednesday when a three-alarm fire ripped through the Royal Ridge apartment complex, 966 E. Canyon Ridge Way (7450 South), destroying a dozen units.

Investigators are calling the cause "accidental" and say an improperly discarded cigarette or some other smoking material may have started the fire on a third floor balcony, said Midvale Battalion Chief Curtis Day.

The fire was reported about 1:30 a.m. at the three-story structure. Emergency responders arrived to find heavy fire already stretching into the attic and onto the roof, said Midvale Fire Chief Stephen Higgs.

Foote's wife was up feeding her baby when she heard people yelling. She awoke her husband to investigate, and just when he reached the door, a woman knocked on it and told them to evacuate.

"I could see smoke from across the way," he said.

Foote grabbed his laptop and cell phone and he and his family got out. He then hopelessly watched from a nearby lawn as the fire quickly spread.

"It's surreal. There's hope for a minute. You keep thinking they're going to spray it (with water) and stop it, and it'll be done. Then you think they'll save half of it. Then psychologically it's easier to believe everything is gone," Foote said.

Fire crews arrived at the complex quickly. But the fire had already spread to the roof.

"For the first 10 minutes or so, things were pretty crazy," Higgs said.

"It was pretty intense. It (spread) pretty quick," said Brandon Jacobsen, who lives in the apartment building next to the one that burned.

More than 60 firefighters from across the valley assisted in fighting the massive blaze. Damage was estimated at $1 million with the heaviest damage on the third floor.

"We were just sleeping and someone started pounding on my door," said Michelle Timani, who lived on the bottom floor of the burned structure. "A woman told us that everyone needed to get out."

Timani's husband, Bassel, grabbed a pair of pants, Michelle Timani grabbed her cat, and the two got out. Wednesday afternoon, Michelle Timani was wearing clothes that she had to borrow from her mother.