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Tonya Papanikolas Reporting The fire department said that someone on that third floor left a pan of grease on the stove and went off to do something else. When they came back, the grease had caught fire.
Residents who were inside these apartments just before 11 a.m. didn't have time to grab much before the smoke and flames forced them out.
Wayland Brownfield, evacuated resident: There was a lot of smoke."
Natoya Marston-Falcher, evacuated Resident: I just saw the flames coming through the windows and then the glass breaking out downstairs. And that's scary! Someone knocked at our door and told us to rush out. I could only grab this for my little baby. And my son, his dad grabbed him without any shoes or clothes on."
As firefighters fought the blaze, she waited barefoot on the freezing sidewalk. "My feet, they're numb. I can't feel them."
Candy Montero says when she heard the fire alarm go off, she checked her second floor apartment.
Candy Montero, evacuated resident: "We ran to the kitchen, opened it, and there was a bunch of black smoke in there. I was just talking to the brother and he said he was asleep and the other one was cooking. It was sad."
The smoke was coming from the apartment directly above her, where she says the residents had been using shortening on the stove when something apparently went wrong.
Firefighters made a quick attack, rushing gear past crowds of people.
Once they had control of the fire, they pulled out ceiling tiles to make sure smoke or flames didn't spread into the ceiling ducts.
Dennis McKone, Salt Lake City Fire Department: "it was a lot of fire. That unit is pretty well gutted out."
Residents were eventually taken to the Salvation Army to keep warm.
The fire caused 750-thousand dollars in damage.
With the exception of the third floor apartment and the apartment below it, which suffered some water damage, most residents will be able to go back to their apartments today.
No injuries have been reported.
