Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- One person has died in a fire at an apartment where drugs reportedly were used, fire officials said.
The ceiling collapsed on the badly burned victim, covering the person's upper body, said Provo Fire Chief Coy Porter. The victim has not been identified.
The fire was reported Tuesday night in a two-bedroom apartment behind China Garden Chinese Restaurant and next to the Valley Inn Motel.
When firefighters arrived, the apartment was engulfed, and had knocked out a north window and spread to a nearby shed, Porter said. The apartment was destroyed.
The cause of the fire had not been determined.
Porter said it appeared to have started in one of the bedrooms. The victim was in another room.
Provo police and firefighters, the Provo fire marshal and a representative from the state Fire Marshal's Office were investigating.
Because one of the apartment's residents said they had used drugs there, investigators wore protection suits while looking the rubble.
Wei Zhang, whose father owns the building and motel, said he was working in the office behind the restaurant and didn't know there was a fire until police and firefighters were there.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
