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ENOCH, Iron County — Three people were found dead inside a burning house in this close-knit rural city north of Cedar City.
Francis Brewington, 70, and her two children, Cynthia Shaffer, 46, and Jay Brewington, 32, were killed by a large fire that roared through their home, according to the Enoch Police Department. A cat and a dog were also killed in the fire.
The fire was reported at 4568 N Pioneer Drive about 10:20 p.m. Monday. The first arriving crews found the house was already "consumed by fire," said Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson.
"Witnesses reported that people were inside the house. They could see flames in the house and it had spread to vehicles parked in the driveway," according to a prepared statement released by Enoch City.
Enoch Police Chief Jackson Ames said despite witnesses being able to hear cries for help from inside, rescuers were unable to make entry into the engulfed structure.
"They encountered dense smoke at the time and were not able to enter the house," Dotson added.
Enoch officials said the first emergency responders who arrived at the scene "attempted to enter the home through a window, but when they broke it there was such an intense amount of heat and smoke they couldn’t make entry. The fire had grown so much that attempts at rescuing the people inside were unsafe."
Investigators believe the fire was sparked by heat lamps in the garage that ignited straw and other nearby flammable materials. The family owned several animals and it's possible the heat lamps were being used for them.
The fire then spread quickly, in part because of the numerous items of flammable materials inside the house, according to officials.
"The family was hoarding a lot of materials," Dotson said.
Ames said officers had been called to the house in the past mainly to assist for medical issues. It was unknown Tuesday whether any of the family's medical conditions contributed to them not being able to get out of their burning house in time.
The town's animal shelter was working with the family and several rescue groups to find temporary shelter for several animals that survived, including horses, geese, dogs and cats.
"This is a very tragic accident, and we want to express our condolences to family and friends of the deceased," the city said in its statement.
"The community is very close knit and we all do want to rally around the family as much as we can," Ames added.
