Estimated read time: Less than a minute
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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
CEDAR FORT, Utah County — A fire chief called to a battle a house fire late Sunday ended up having to defend himself against a homeowner, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
Just before midnight, a house fire was reported in Cedar Fort. The owner of the house lives in another home next door, while a tenant occupied the home that burned, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
After firefighters arrived, the homeowner shoved Cedar Fort Fire Chief Nyle Jacobsen to the ground, Cannon said. Both the homeowner and the tenant, who were intoxicated, were placed in handcuffs at that point while they were questioned, he said.
The chief was not seriously hurt. Cannon said it was unknown Monday why the homeowner shoved the fire chief or how the fire started.
Both men were eventually released without being arrested. But Cannon said charges would be screened with the Utah County Attorney's Office.
Because of alleged attack, the Cedar Fort Fire Department turned the investigation into the cause of the fire over to the Unified Fire Authority. The home was considered a total loss.