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SALT LAKE CITY — One firefighter suffered minor injuries and one tenant was rescued from a third-story window during a large apartment complex fire Monday that caused an estimated $500,000 to $750,000 damage.
Salt Lake City firefighters were called to 1156 Foothill Drive about 8:40 a.m. Fire spokesman Jasen Asay said investigators believe the fire started on an outside patio of a unit at the top of the three-story building. Tenants were reportedly smoking about 7:30 a.m., he said. A discarded cigarette was believed to have sparked the fire, Asay said.
Emergency dispatchers were called about 8:40 a.m. The entire 18-unit building was evacuated. One man, however, was trapped in his apartment due to the fire.
"So we put a ground ladder up to the window, put it up and got him down," Asay said.
Firefighters were also able to rescue one cat from the burning structure and return it to its owner.
Two units — the one where the fire originated the one directly below — suffered heavy fire damage, while a third suffered water damage, Asay said. The remaining 15 units suffered some degree of smoke damage, he said. Fire crews were also forced to cut holes in the roof to battle flames that had gotten into the attic. One firefighter suffered a shoulder injury while on the roof and was transported to a local hospital, he said.
