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Shelley Osterloh ReportingA 112-year old mansion undergoing renovation caught fire early today. No one was injured and firefighters managed to keep most of the damage contained to the one floor, but it was quite a shock to the owners.
The fire was at 7th East and 2nd South. Nancy Saxton, a member of the Salt Lake City Council, and her husband Jan Bartlett own this home. They also own another historic home in the neighborhood and operate it as a bed and breakfast. They were in the process of restoring this large home and turning it into a wedding reception center.
Firefighters arrived around 5:30 this morning to find smoke pouring out of the upper floors. It’s a home councilwoman Saxton says she has admired for years, long before she and her husband purchased it.
Nancy Saxton, Salt Lake City Councilwoman: "We love old buildings and it’s really a jewel. Ror the city the architecture is very unusual, there aren't a lot of east lake Victorians in the city so we’ve just loved the building."
No one was in the home at the time. Work crews were nearing completion on a restoration that would have transformed the 1891 home back to its original grandeur.
Nancy Saxton, Salt Lake City Councilwoman: "It was within a month of being done, so we were getting all the detail stuff done on it, but it could be so much worse."
Fire Investigators say the fire started in a light fixture between the 2nd and 3rd floors and burned up, damaging part of the third floor. Still Councilwoman Saxton, says she is just grateful it isn't worse.
Nancy Saxton, Salt Lake City Councilwoman: "As the construction guy said to me... You know its all fixable so…"
So fix it they will. From the outside the damage doesn't look too bad, but the cost is estimated at 100-thousand dollars. The grand opening scheduled for a month a way will be postponed.
