West Jordan home heavily damaged in fire

WEST JORDAN — One person suffered smoke inhalation and a home suffered extensive damage in a fire here Tuesday.

A UPS driver first noticed smoke coming from the back of a house where he had just made a delivery, at 2818 Dimond Drive (7650 South), just before 1 p.m., said West Jordan Fire Battalion Chief Reed Scharman. After alerting the occupants inside, one of the homeowners discovered his backyard shed was on fire.

The shed had several flammable materials in it, including a propane tank, Scharman said. The homeowner attempted to fight the fire with a garden hose.

"The first garden hose was frozen, the second didn't do much better," he said.

The man, his stepdaughter, stepson, two dogs and a cat were all able to get out of the house. A breeze from the north pushed the fire from the shed to the attached garage of the one-story, rambler-style house, Scharman said. Eventually the garage became fully involved and smoke poured out of both ends of the attic.

Damage was estimated at $150,000. The homeowner initially refused medical attention but later agreed to be transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

Whether the fire started in the shed or in other items stored near the shed was still under investigation Tuesday.

— Pat Reavy

Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam