Fire roars through West Valley carport

WEST VALLEY CITY — Fire ripped through a carport at a condominium complex early Tuesday, causing extensive damage to both the structure and 10 vehicles.

The fire was reported just after midnight at Westglen Village Condominiums, 2200 W. 3688 South.

"I heard popping and explosions," said resident Daniel Burleson.

"I wanted to jump in and save (my car) at first, but it was a ball of flames. Then I thought, 'I'm not going to mess with that,'" added resident David Wright. "My car is burned crispy."

The fire apparently started at one vehicle, and then spread quickly because of the carport roof, said West Valley Fire Marshal Bob Fitzgerald. The wood structure provided fuel for the flames to spread.

About 150 feet of carport was fully involved when fire crews arrived. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the flames under control. A nearby condo building was evacuated for about 45 minutes to keep residents away from the fire's toxic smoke blowing into their path.

Fire crews were able to keep the blaze from spreading to additional vehicles and structures, Fitzgerald said. Early damage estimates were between $100,000 and $150,000.

The cause of the first car fire was under investigation Tuesday, but was considered suspicious.

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