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John Daley ReportingThe Sandy Fire Department says the fire that killed a prominent doctor last month moved so fast there was "no chance of rescue."
Dr. Herbert Ungricht died in an early-morning blaze in his garage. The fire report, released today says Ungricht was in the garage cleaning when some gasoline vapors caught fire and caused a "pressure wave" or explosion. The report concludes it was a "human-caused fire" and that "this was a rapid, self-sustaining fire with no chance of rescue."
Sandy Fire declined our request for an interview today, but in the days after the fire the department's chief said super-heated gases fueled the fire.
Don Chase, Sandy Fire Chief, May 19: "I can assure you with certainty that Mr. Ungricht had probably expired about the same time the fire truck was leaving the station because of the heat in the garage and the information we have from the tape that would say that's what was going on at that time. There's no way to survive in that environment."
After the blaze some neighbors said they had a hard time getting through to 9-1-1. Others raised questions about a roughly six-minute fire crew response time.
Chase says the fire was initially dispatched as a medical call, but updated information a few seconds later changed the call to a garage fire and crews had to stop the engine mid-street to put on protective gear.
Don Chase, May 19: "I believe that they were dispatched on a medical call which did not delay them getting up and getting out. But they didn't have all the information that the dispatcher had that it was actually a fire.” Question: How much time do you think that may have cost you? “Maybe two minutes for them to stop and put their gear on."
Meantime, one change is coming, the chief says GPS units are being installed in every truck.
The report says conclusions may be changed if additional information becomes available.
