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PAYSON — A Payson family of five has been left without a home following a fire Saturday.
Fire officials were called to the home near State Street and 1400 South around 8:15 a.m., Terry Reilly, assistant emergency and medical services chief for Payson Fire and Rescue, said. A mother, father and three children were in the home when the father "smelled an electrical burn."
"When he went to investigate, he noticed smoke coming out of the heater vent," Reilly said. "He immediately had his family leave the home and called 911."
Two engines, one ladder truck and two ambulances responded from Payson with the help of an additional engine from Santaquin. Reilly said the fire appeared to have started in the basement and traveled up through the walls of the home and into the attic.
Due to some remodeling, firefighters had to cut holes into the siding and roof to battle the blaze. Reilly said, in total, it took around two hours to extinguish.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused a total of $80,000 in damage. Rich Woodruff. communications director for the American Red Cross said, the agency responded to provide food, shelter and clothing to the family.
Reilly said investigators were waiting to begin their investigation on the cause of the fire due to water that had built up in the basement. He said the incident was a reminder of the importance of smoke alarms.
Contributing: Dan Jessop
