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SALT LAKE CITY — A man was severely injured and a home suffered extensive damage during a fire in St. George Friday.
About 1 p.m., crews were dispatched to the blaze at a home in the 3500 South block of Price Hills Drive, which is behind Desert Hills High School, according to St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker.
Crews could see a "large column of smoke" coming from that area of town as they approached. When crews arrived, the home was "well-involved" in flames, Stoker said, with heavy fire escaping from the garage.
A man had been working on a vehicle in the garage, Stoker said. Witnesses told firefighters that's where the blaze began. Firefighters hadn't been able to talk to the man to gather more information as of late Friday afternoon.
Firefighters believe the fire started because of an explosion or incident with the vehicle, according to Stoker.
The man who was working on the vehicle was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center with burns to his upper body and airway, Stoker said. He described the man's injuries as serious to critical.
He was later transferred to the burn center at the University of Utah Hospital.
CONFIRMED: Home near Desert Hills High School in St. George #Utah goes up in flames after possible car explosion. Man hospitalized for burns to his upper body and airway, according to fire department. @KSL5TV@KSLcom@kslnewsradio@StGeorgeNewspic.twitter.com/UZeCyIGb2p
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) May 24, 2019
#tweet_ladd
Other occupants inside the home escaped safely, Stoker said. Firefighters were told there may have been cats still inside, but the animals made it out and were accounted for.
It took about 30 firefighters on scene under an hour to extinguish the fire and overhaul the home.
The house was not considered a total loss but sustained an estimated $200,000 to $250,000 in damage, according to the fire chief.
