A small house fire Saturday afternoon left a Salt Lake man in serious condition after witnesses and family members said he went into the home's basement in an attempt to rescue children he thought were trapped inside.
Firefighters found Mike Kaisa unconscious at the bottom of a flight of stairs leading to the basement. They brought him to waiting paramedics, who transported him by ambulance to LDS Hospital.Kaisa's daughter, Crystal, said her father suffered burns inside his lungs and had to be put on a ventilator. She and Mike Kaisa live at the home, along with other extended family members.
Neighbor Kevin Johnson and his father rushed to the residence, 828 Genessee Ave., when smoke began to pour out from the basement. Johnson's father broke a lower story window to try to see if anyone was inside.
Mike Kaisa, who was upstairs when the fire started, apparently entered the basement and was overcome by smoke. Fire crews later determined that no one else was inside and listed Mike Kaisa as the only injury. Salt Lake Fire Capt. Devin Villa said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but witnesses said it started from an unattended cigarette.
Hours after the fire, family members recovered refrigerator perishables and handed the extra food out to neighbors. Family members said they didn't know when the house would be livable again.
Villa estimated fire damage at $30,000 but noted that the main floor also sustained moderate smoke damage.
Twenty-five firefighters responded to the blaze at 2:38 p.m., which was called under control at 2:50 p.m.