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RIVERTON — Fire destroyed a home here Wednesday.
The senior couple who lived at the house were safe, however, as both were out doing LDS Church work when the fire started, according to the Unified Fire Authority.
The couple left their home near Sandviken Circle and 12775 South (3030 West) about 9:30 a.m. to go to downtown Salt Lake City, said UFA battalion Chief Brian Anderton. By 10:45 a.m., neighbors were calling 911 reporting smoke was coming from the home, he said.
The house was fully involved by the time UFA crews arrived, and firefighters immediately went into a defensive mode — meaning they fought the fire from the outside because it was too dangerous to enter the structure, Anderton said.
It took about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. Damage was estimated between $250,000 and $300,000. It is considered a "complete loss," Anderton said.
The exact cause of the fire was still being investigated Wednesday, but it appeared to be accidental, he said. The fire was believed to have started either on the main floor of the house or attic, and likely had been smoldering or burning for a while before neighbors detected the smoke, Anderton said.
