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SALT LAKE CITY — Crews responded to a fire that heavily damaged a house and left six people homeless Monday night.
A neighbor, Paul Reeves, noticed smoke from the fire in the 800 East block of Sherman Avenue around 6:30 p.m. and called 911. Then he entered the home to alert residents.
"I went in the front door, checked the living room, the two bedrooms off the living room, and then the kitchen is in the back of the house. It was pretty much engulfed in smoke so I didn't go any farther," he said.
The residents were not home at the time.
It took the efforts of almost 40 firefighters to extinguish the fire. When crews entered the house, they encountered makeshift walls and damaged floors that prevented them from staying inside, according to Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay.
One firefighter was transported to the hospital after suffering from exhaustion, Asay said. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Firefighters are still trying to determine how the fire started.
The structure is considered a total loss. The home's residents are staying with family or friends.
