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SANDY — A home was destroyed and a pet dog died Wednesday morning in a house fire.
Firefighters responded to the home at 8705 S. 1275 East shortly after 10 a.m. to find the home "heavily involved with smoke and flames," said Sandy Fire Chief Derek Maxfield.
Two brothers from Colorado spotted the fire while driving by and were the first to arrive at the home.
"I’ve seen fires before, but it started getting really heavy. Flames started shooting up out of the roof," said John Nissen, who was with his twin, Dennis Nissen.
Dennis Nissen rushed to the front door of the house to warn the people who lived there.
"They were kind of in a daze. I was trying to get them out," Dennis Nissen said.
I had woken up to a bunch of screaming and a lot of smoke. I couldn't breathe.
–Skyler Coomer, resident
The home's three residents quickly evacuated, and fire crews arrived a few minutes later.
"I had woken up to a bunch of screaming and a lot of smoke. I couldn’t breathe," said resident Skyler Coomer.
One of Coomer's pets, a female shih tzu, didn't make it out of the blaze alive.
"It was scary. I’ve never been in a situation like this, so when I woke up to that it was devastating," Coomer said.
Maxfield said the home is a complete loss. The fire caused about $150,000 in total damage.
What ignited the fire remained undetermined as of Wednesday evening, but it likely started at the back of the home near the deck, Maxfield said.
Nobody was hurt besides the dog, Maxfield said. More than 20 firefighters, some assisting from Unified Fire Authority, fought the blaze.
The flat roof of the home made it difficult for firefighters to access the flames in the attic, Maxfield said.
Contributing: Shara Park, Nicole Vowell
Email: blockhart@deseretnews.com
