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MIDVALE -- Residents of a Midvale neighborhood woke up Friday morning to find flames shooting out of a nearby house. Investigators say the fire was likely a result of faulty electrical wiring in the home's garage.
The fire was reported just before 5:30 a.m. at a home near 100 West and 7000 South. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting nearly 30 feet into the air.
"The flames were just coming full blast. You could see it clear down from my house, and I'm a good 150 feet away," said neighbor Bryce Glover.
Firefighters were able to contain the majority of the fire to the garage and the east wall of the house.
The good news is the house was empty when the fire started. The bad news, neighbors say, is the owner was in the process of renovating it for sale.
"They had done painting inside, and they had fixed the basement," said neighbor Charlotte Wakefield.
When Glover saw the fire, his first thought was to grab a camera. He shot home video as firefighters battled the blaze.
"I got pretty close to the house, but stayed far enough to not get hurt or anything," he said.
Firefighters say the majority of the fire was contained inside the garage. The damage seen from the front of the house, they say, looks worse than it really is.
"Looking at it from the outside it looks like there is a lot of damage on the interior, but there is actually just minor fire damage on the interior, just in the kitchen and living room area. There is a little bit of water damage," said Marty Glover of the Midvale Fire Department.
Fire officials say the fire caused between $50,000 and $75,000 in damage to the house. They say it could have been more had the house not been empty.
"It definitely helps that it was vacant, that we didn't have to worry about occupants or anybody trapped in the home. That definitely assists us when we arrive at the home right off the bat," Glover said.
Firefighters say the fire did cause some minor heat damage to the house next door, but nothing that would compromise the structure.
Bryce Glover posted video of the fire on YouTube. CLICK HERE to see it.
E-mail: Shara Park
