Fire in Washington County burns multiple homes, kills 1 pet

WASHINGTON, Washington County — A fire ignited in Washington on Friday afternoon, sending plumes of black smoke high over the city and damaging several buildings and multiple vehicles.

The fire began near the corner of Wagon Wheel Drive and Cottonmill East Avenue in Washington. The flames spread quicklythanks to the wind, and embers reached another house approximately one block away from the initial fire.

Battalion Chief Brandon Moore said one building caught fire before spreading to a nearby shed. The shed was being used to store live ammunition, which ignited from the blaze, forcing crews to retreat for safety.

Chris Noel with the Washington Fire Department later said there were no reported injuries, but one pet died in the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Lani Lawrence, who lives across the street from the blaze, told KSL that her house had previously burned down in 2013. When she saw the smoke rising over her neighborhood after she left a grocery store, she thought it may have been her house again.

"It looks like it's going to take them hours, if not all day, to get this out," Lawrence said.

Noel requested that people use extra caution with anything that could create sparks.

"Dry conditions and high winds can cause a small fire to become a significant incident in minutes," he said.

Contributing: Arianne Brown, KSL

Related topics