A homeowner in Herriman, Utah found his house ablaze in an early morning fire on Friday. Police helped him out of his home as well as his cat, and both walked away relatively unscathed. No one could say the same about the outside of the house, however.
According to ABC4 Utah, the fire was reported to emergency services just before 7 a.m. on Friday at a home near 12700 South Bellagio Way. The man told the dispatcher he was having difficulty getting out of his home when he called in the emergency. A Herriman Police Department officer was the first to arrive on the scene to help him do just that.
The officer helped the homeowner get away from the flames without incident. By the time Unified Fire Authority crews arrived, the three-car garage was already heavy with smoke and flames, as was the RV. But at least the man and his companion didn’t have to worry about injuries.
Though the fires were put out quickly, the damage to the garage and the RV made for a total loss. There was no saving either the garage or the vehicle and both were quickly extinguished before being left, essentially, a pile of cinders.
The Fire and Its Aftermath
Aside from his cat, the homeowner had been the only person inside the home at the time of the fire. In a follow-up online post, Unified Fire Authority credited the coordinated response of the agencies on scene as well as the homeowner’s own quick actions.
The agency used the incident as a public-information reminder to keep working smoke alarms in the home and to have an evacuation plan ready for family members and pets. Unified Fire Authority confirmed that the fire began in the garage, but said the cause was still under investigation.
A Reminder for Routine Fire Maintenance
We don’t want to lose our furry friends or our belongings in fires like these. Depending on what the eventual cause is credited to (not yet found at this moment0, it could have been preventable, especially if the garage was kept tidy and in order.
If you want to minimize your garage’s fire risk, we’ve got a few tips for you.
You’ll want to keep surfaces clean and organized, especially if you have flammable chemicals sitting around. Store all your tools and devices in areas where there’s no potential they might get in the way. And make sure that your garage door can open and close completely and easily. Keep all this in mind, and you can protect your belongings in the event your own garage goes ablaze.