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SALT LAKE CITY — Officers have arrested two men in a suspected arson at a downtown Salt Lake building Friday morning.
Luke Harrah, 18, and Duncan Jolley, 18, were arrested for investigation of aggravated arson, said Salt Lake Fire Capt. Michael Hart.
Kort Snow, a worker at an adjacent building, reported the fire around 11 a.m. after seeing flames on the third floor of the Arrow Press Square building, 149 S. West Temple.
"It was just kind of a shock to see the fire going over there," Snow said.
He and a group of co-workers gathered in his office and watched as two men emerged from a hatch on the building's roof and searched for a way down.
Both men climbed down a fire escape that ended 10 to 15 feet above the ground, Snow said. One of the men jumped from the fire escape and then limped away. He was later detained.
"When we got here, we had an individual that exited the structure and was running out the back," Harp said. "We were able to detain that individual, who is now in police custody."
One of the two men was transported to a nearby hospital but Salt Lake police were unsure if his injuries were sustained from the fire or during the attempted escape. The other man was taken in for questioning.
Police suspect the two men had been occupying the building and were possibly cooking something on a stove when the fire broke out.
The Dead Goat Saloon occupies the first floor of the building but the upper floors have been vacant for some time. Crews were able to extinguish the fire by noon and no injuries were reported. Damage was limited to the room where the fire originated, Harp said.
"This is determined to be an aggravated arson," Harp said. "It's a felony, and these individuals are being charged."
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Story written with contributions from Shara Park, Spencer Garn and Sarah Dallof.
