Two alarm fire evacuates residents at Millcreek apartments, second fire in less than a year
May 20, 2020, 6:07 AM | Updated: 10:42 am
May 20, 2020 (Photo: Steve Breinholt, KSL TV)
(Photo: Steve Breinholt, KSL TV)
MILLCREEK, Utah — Crews were called to a two alarm fire burning at an apartment building in Millcreek on Tuesday morning.
2 AM, two alarm fire
Firefighters say the fire at the Driftwood apartments near 3900 South and 700 West started on the third floor just before 2 a.m. It quickly spread and was burning through the roof when crews arrived.
Unified Fire Authority spokesman Matthew McFarland says residents of 24 apartments began self-evacuating before crews arrived.
“This has been a great opportunity for interagency cooperative work,” McFarland said.
“With the four different (fire) departments, the police department, power and light, we’ve got a lot of resources that have come in to work together.”
Hearing 24 units impacted, all residents accounted for. This is the same location of another fire last August that displaced 100 people, feel terrible for anyone who has been hit twice now. https://t.co/UQRgoDdvYf
— John Wojcik (@JWojcikKSL) May 20, 2020
McFarland says the best news is that everyone was able to evacuate in a safe manner.
“At this point in time, there are no casualties and there are no injuries of any kind,” he explains. “Neither civilian nor firefighters.”
Now, the attention turns to making sure the displaced residents have somewhere to go.
“We are working with Red Cross,” says McFarland. “With 24 units currently displaced, that’s going to be a lot of individuals. They are going to work with these individuals to make sure they have the resources and the shelter they need.”
Investigations into what caused the fire and how much damage is left behind will begin when it is safe.
NEW: Update from @FireAuthority about the apartment fire in Millcreek. 24 units impacted at Driftwood Apartments, but only half were occupied. No #’s on how many displaced. They believe it started on a third-floor balcony. Cause will be under investigation. pic.twitter.com/Q7YjsYCJBB
— John Wojcik (@JWojcikKSL) May 20, 2020
Burned twice
This is the same apartment complex that suffered a fire last summer.
On Aug. 26, 2019, a fire at Driftwood Apartments displaced around 100 residents. It also killed several pets.
Investigators believe the blaze started in one of the second-floor apartments. Eventually, six apartment units in the building were deemed a complete loss, while several others suffered smoke damage. The fire caused an estimated $500,000 worth of damage.
