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WEST VALLEY CITY — An abandoned West Valley City home went up in flames Thursday, fire authorities reported.
The fire at the home, 3001 W. 2995 South, was reported about 9 a.m., said West Valley City Fire Battalion Chief Bob Fitzgerald.
"When we left the station … we could see the smoke column rising in the sky," he said.
The fire was "through the roof" when crews arrived, according to Fitzgerald. Crews took a defensive position on the fire, combatting it only from the outside after determining there was nobody in the home. Firefighters needed about 30 minutes to knock the fire down.
Fitzgerald said the fire caused between about $80,000 and $100,000 in damage. The home is considered a total loss.
The fire is considered human-caused, since there was no electricity or gas in the home, Fitzgerald said. Neighbors reported that the abandoned, boarded-up home has been broken into by juveniles and transients in the past, something that was being investigated as a possible factor Thursday even though the official cause of the fire remained unknown, he said.
"It's been one of those problem spots, as far as that goes, for the neighborhood," Fitzgerald said.
Investigators believe the fire began near the back of the home on the main floor and rapidly spread upstairs.