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Tonya Papanikolas Reporting"Just flames, I mean, higher than the house, just pitch orange. I didn't know what was going on. I just knew it was a fire."
Three garages went up in flames this morning within five hours of each other. Two of those fires look suspicious and could be related. Those two fires happened one after the other; both garages were detached from the homes.
The first fire took place in Midvale. Neighbors say they heard loud sounds, almost like explosions there. The garage sustained severe damage, but thankfully, everyone inside the home was okay.
Around 3:00 this morning the Midvale Fire Department responded to a garage fully engulfed in flames.
Robyn Fullmer, Witness: "I just heard a pop. That's what made me look out cause I was hearing seriously a loud pop."
Neighbors say when they discovered the fire the flames were shooting high into the air.
Robyn Fullmer: "Came around the corner and the whole thing, I thought it was the house. It was just black smoke and orange flames."
But it was the garage, which is detached from the house. A couple people were inside at the time, including an elderly woman.
Robyn Fullmer: "The other neighbor, she's behind me, she called the cops. And she ran in and got them out okay. Grandma didn't want to leave."
But she did and everyone was fine. The same could not be said for the cars in the garage. They were scorched beyond recognition.
A half hour later a similar incident happened in Sandy.
Deputy Chief Mike Veenendaal, Sandy City Fire: "The garage was pretty well fully involved by the time we got the alarm."
Another detached garage went up in flames at that house. Power went out for a little while and firefighters had a problem with the cold weather as a hydrant broke, but they quickly attached their hoses to another one and protected neighboring homes. The owners were also home when the fire started, but were able to get out safely.
Two homes sustained some damage in Sandy from electrical problems and burned siding. Investigators say they don't know yet if the two fires are related. They're looking into that; they say it could be a coincidence but it's also possible it could be arson.
The third fire this morning was in West Jordan around 8:00 a.m. Fire officials say an air compressor in the garage overheated. The flames quickly spread to the second level of the home.
A passerby knocked on the homeowner's door and helped get everyone out safely, but unfortunately the fire destroyed almost everything inside. Damage is estimated at more than 100 thousand dollars.
