Salt Lake blaze behind apartment complex ruins 3 cars

Residents of a small apartment complex in west Salt Lake City were temporarily evacuated Thursday when a two-alarm fire broke out in a lot behind the complex.

At about 5:25 p.m. fire officials received calls about a fire and within three minutes they were able to respond to the area, said Mark Bednarik, a spokesman for the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived at the complex, 725 S. 1000 West, they found the backyard area on fire, Bednarik said.

"The whole area was on fire," Bednarik said. "Vehicles as well as grass, fencing, trees, a shed, and a dumpster."

Bednarik estimated that the lot was about 50 feet by 80 feet.

Neighbors said the blaze sent large amounts of smoke around the area and flames high up a tall tree.

"The flames were pretty big because the whole tree caught on fire and there was a lot of thick black smoke," said Alissa Ellison, a 19-year-old resident of the complex.

Ellison said she was in her living room and thought she smelled a barbecue but then she heard children yelling "fire," which caused her to go outside and help some of the children back away from the blaze.

She said a popular tree house, which sat in the large tree that caught on fire, was also ruined.

Within about 15 to 20 minutes the flames were knocked down, even though firefighters initially had trouble getting water to come out of the hydrant, Bednarik said.

There were no injuries and only a few surrounding neighbors were evacuated temporarily, according to Bednarik.

Investigators are still unsure what caused the fire, but they believe it originated in the engine compartment of one of the vehicles parked in the area, Bednarik said.

The fire department estimated that the fire caused approximately $80,000 in damage. Bednarik said that three vehicles were a complete loss, and a fourth received some radiant heat damage.

Investigators also were working to find the cause of the hydrant problem, Bednarik said.

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