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Sam Penrod and Tom Callan reportingA fast-moving fire burned along the Jordan River Parkway in Murray this afternoon, and firefighters are calling it suspicious. Flames and smoke filled the air until firefighters got the blaze under control.
The fire is out, and firefighters are finished mopping up.
Around 1:30 this afternoon, our Eyewitness News photographer captured video of the flames. A teenager can be seen running through a field, and you can get a perspective of how big the flames were.
The fire burned right along the parkway on the Jordan River, mostly in grass, brush and even some trees. It provided some tense moments for neighbors as the flames kept growing and the breeze blew toward their homes.
Susan Greenburg said, "Just a ton of black smoke and flames. We called the fire department and they responded very quickly."
Andrea Shepherd said, "We started smelling smoke, and fire trucks started going down our street. Actually the fire is about three houses down from mine. We were on our second-level balcony and we could see flames about 20 feet high. About that time, we grabbed our animals and were getting ready to leave."
Another neighbor, John Black, said, "I saw the smoke going up and then came the fire trucks right in front of my house. So I ran over there and they were busy throwing the hoses out. They asked if I could help out, so I threw the cones out to block the road so cars wouldn't run over their hoses. They started stringing their hoses out and getting the fire hydrant on."
Firefighters brought the flames under control in less than an hour, but crews spent most of the afternoon mopping up the hot spots.
Murray firefighters got some help from nearby departments because the wind created concern that the fire could spread quickly.
Firefighters are looking for some possible suspects who were seen in the area just before the fire, and the investigation into the cause is ongoing.
In all, less than an acre actually burned. At no time were any homes threatened by the fire.
Firefighters are warning that all of the moisture this winter helps the weeds to grow taller, and they expect the fire danger to be high this spring and summer.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
E-mail: tcallan@ksl.com
