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BOUNTIFUL — Authorities on Monday identified a man who died in a Bountiful house fire on Friday.
The man was identified on Monday by Bountiful police as 61-year-old Scott E. Moore. Moore was also known as "Rick" by friends and family, according to a GoFundMe account.
Fire crews were called about 10 a.m. to a house fire near 1800 S. Maple Hollow Way. Initially, there were reports that two people might have been inside the house, said South Davis Metro Fire Deputy Chief Greg Stewart.
They found a fire in the basement, but were forced to get out of the house due to "high heat and low visibility," and because the floors and roof started to collapse, Stewart said. A fire with high heat and low visibility can typically be caused by having a lot of materials inside a structure to fuel the fire, he said.
One of the people believed to be in the house was quickly accounted for, Stewart said. The body of the second, an adult man later identified as Moore, was later discovered in the basement.
"It was so hot it was forcing firefighters back out," said Stewart.
A police officer who entered the home first also received burns before being forced out of the home, KSL TV reported.
It was during this time that a firefighter was also injured and taken to a local hospital with "minor to moderate" injuries, Stewart said. He described the firefighter's injuries only as "burns" to his body.
"It's the worst-case scenario. Firefighters don't want to see one of their own get hurt, for sure. Our concerns are with him," he said. "(He's the) last person you'd want to see anything bad happen to."
Monday, Stewart said the firefighter who was injured has been released and will spend several weeks recovering at home.
After the first responders got out of the house, the fire quickly spread to the roof. Nearly 30 firefighters from numerous agencies spent over two hours fighting the fire defensively to bring it under control, Stewart said.
"It's just not good. I think that house is completely gone," said neighbor Rob Tew, who said the family that owns the home has lived there for about 15 years. "Their lives just turned upside down today."
The fire was originally thought to be suspicious, though police later said they were no longer considering it as such. Stewart said the initial call placed to 911 "came in as suspicious behavior involved" and included "suspicious details." He said the initial comments made to dispatchers also included that the fire may have been intentionally started. Stewart did not say who made the initial 911 call.
In addition, when firefighters arrived, they found the doors leading to the basement were barricaded, he said.
Bountiful police questioned the family Friday afternoon.
A GoFundMe* has also been set up to help the family.
Contributing: Paul Nelson, KSL NewsRadio; Ashley Fredde, KSL.com; Morgan Wolfe, KSL TV; Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
