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SALT LAKE CITY — A man soldering pipe in a condominium renovation sparked a two-alarm fire Thursday morning, displacing more than a dozen tenants. No injuries were reported but firefighters had to rescue a cat and snake trapped inside the building.
Salt Lake City fire crews responded at the six-unit building, 1133 E. Brickyard Road (3190 South), just before 11 a.m. and arrived to find smoke pouring from the building.
"When I pulled in, the firemen wouldn't even let me park by my garage, and then as soon as you know, all these other fire trucks start coming," said resident Phyllis Jones.
The fire appears to have started in a ground-level unit and spread through a wall and attic into a neighboring unit.
When I pulled in, the firemen wouldn't even let me park by my garage, and then as soon as you know, all these other fire trucks start coming.
–resident Phyllis Jones
The fire was contained to two units, while the remaining six units sustained smoke damage. The Red Cross is assisting the building's 14 displaced residents.
Damage costs from the fire were not known Thursday.
A man soldering pipes in a bathroom triggered a small fire, which he thought he had successfully extinguished, Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay said. However, the fire flared up again 30 minutes later, and when the man was unable to put it out, he called 911 and exited the building.
Firefighters rescued a cat and a snake from the smoke-filled building, resuscitating the unconscious feline with an oxygen mask. The cat, whose owner was not home at the time, is in the care of Salt Lake County Animal Services until its owners can take it.
Forty firefighters responded to the blaze, including crews from South Salt Lake, Murray and West Valley City.
