Three-alarm fire above Capitol under control
Jul 24, 2018, 4:02 PM | Updated: 5:29 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Crews appear to have gained the upper hand on a three-alarm fire that burned several acres and threatened homes in the foothills above the Utah State Capitol building Tuesday.
3 alarm working fire behind Utah State Capitol. PIO is en route. More information to come.
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) July 24, 2018
Firefighters continue to put out hotspots north of Utah’s state capitol building
Officials did not immediately have word on what caused the fire, but the conditions are very dry and hot. An unknown number of homes were evacuated as the flames burned near them.
Salt Lake City Fire Department said two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze, but could not confirm their conditions.
Breaking: 90 percent containment on #ensignpeak fire. Two firefighter injuries, conditions not yet determined.
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) July 24, 2018
#breaking We are sending @KSL5TV Newschopper5 to check this out @AndrewAdamsKSL also headed that way #Fire #Utah #ksl pic.twitter.com/BrICu3by7f
— Bonnie Loftus (@slcnewsproducer) July 24, 2018
Bush fire in the foothills just north of downtown #SLC. pic.twitter.com/8EJ0YlLFaB
— Sean Moody (@SeanMoodyKSL) July 24, 2018
This Google maps shot shows the location of the brush fire. Edgecomb Dr. on the north, Victory Rd. on the south. pic.twitter.com/RwT2ec87SB
— Dave Cawley (@ashergrey) July 24, 2018
At one point, a reporter for KSL.com talked to a witness who said the flames were as tall as some homes. Some homeowners could be seen using their garden hoses to help spray the area around their homes in hopes of keeping the fire from re-igniting.
“We saw our neighbors, everyone was coming out on their decks, packing up their cars, driving off,” another witness observed.
“It was really yellow grass up here, so it ignited quickly,” another witness said, describing the scramble to throw some belongings in their car just in case they needed to leave.
Police closed off Columbus St. at Girard Ave. so fire engines could respond. A three-alarm fire indicates a larger response.
