Residents feared losing their homes as fast-moving Ensign Peak fire closed in

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — Terrifying moments for residents in the Ensign Peak area after a grass fire suddenly ignited, sending flames racing right up to the backyards of homes.

Homeowners said they feared they were about to lose everything as the fire moved quickly up the hillside. Cell phone video captured the intensity of the moment. Alex Afflerback recorded the scene as she rushed to protect her home from the approaching flames. "I have intense asthma. So I was out here with my inhaler just trying to, like, survive, it's scary. It's like, this is your home," Afflerback said. The wind-driven fire started just after 1:00 p.m. behind the Capitol. Nearly 50 firefighters responded, working quickly on the ground and from the air to slow the flames before they could spread into neighborhoods. "Definitely the craziest experience of my life," Afflerback said. She was among several residents who believed their homes would be lost. "We expected the house to burn because when the fire is six feet from you, and you're literally like, 'I need to go evacuate now because I can't stop it,'" she said. At another home, defensible space played a key role in stopping the fire from reaching the structure. Rebecca James showed where flames came right up to her fence line. "you could see the flames coming through the fence. It looked like the yard was on fire. We knew that it had come down through the garden. It was really scary," James said. "We thought the house was just going to go up in flames." Firefighters were ultimately able to keep the flames from destroying homes. When the smoke cleared, residents expressed gratitude for the quick and aggressive response. "I'm very grateful for the firefighters, thank you. You saved our house you saved this community a lot of pain," Afflerback said. Crews remain in the area mopping up hot spots to prevent flare-ups. Fire officials said the fire was human-caused, and the investigation into exactly how it started is ongoing.