OREM — Firefighters say a fire that started in the garage at Marie Osmond's Orem home Friday night could have engulfed the home if not for the quick thinking of the well-known entertainer's family.
Orem firefighters arrived about 6:30 p.m. and found that the door leading from the garage to the home had been shut — a crucial step in preventing the spread of the flames.
"The homeowner had the presence of mind to close the door, to keep the fire from extending," said Orem Fire Capt. Dave Thomas. "Just closing the doors probably saved the home."
Although the fire didn't enter the house, it crawled up the wall and began burning through an office above the garage, Thomas said.
Although officials don't yet know what started the fire, it took spraying the blaze with 800 gallons of water per minute for 5 minutes to put out the large flames.
Then, they worked for two more hours to entirely douse the fire, clean up the site and look for any remaining hot spots.
Thomas said estimated the damage could be as much as $50,000.
All of Osmond's family members were able to safely exit the home before firefighters arrived.
Osmond's husband, Brian Blosil, said he was napping with one of the couple's eight children upstairs when he heard other children screaming about a fire.
"I ran though the house, got all my kids," he said.
Other neighbors were already at the home helping pull down pictures and closing doors.
Marie Osmond was giving a speech in Southern California Friday night, but Blosil said they spoke several times after the fire was put out.
"She's very grateful all is well," he said.
The home is in a cul-de-sac, which Orem police shut down while firefighters worked on the blaze, the cause of which is undetermined.
Orem Police officer John McCombs aid they had close to 40 cars that drove by the home near 50 N. 900 East, and police officers helped to keep traffic under control.
Contributing: Associated Press
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