PAYSON – A gasoline-sparked fire swept through a home in rural southern Utah County, collapsing two floors and leaving the structure a total loss.
Payson Fire Chief Scott Spencer said there were no injuries in the 3 p.m. Saturday fire, but the threat of hot spots kept firefighters on the scene until mid-morning Sunday.
A 14-year-old boy who lives at the home was videotaping flame effects outside the home at the ground level, using a cup of gasoline taken from nearby gas can, Spencer said.
Somehow the gas can caught on fire, with flames spreading rapidly throughout most of the house at 5781 W. 11450 South.
"They pretty much lost everything they had," Spencer said. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting out the windows and doors of the basement, main level and second floor.
Spencer said the fire collapsed the second level and main floor into the basement, and about the only place it did not spread was a bedroom above the garage and the garage itself.
There were no hydrants in the area, so responding agencies had to use the water on board responding units, which included Spanish Fork and Genoa as well, Spencer said.
Damage is estimated to be in excess of $750,000.
"It was a beautiful house on a 5-acre parcel," he said.
Spencer noted the house fire underscores the importance of installing an interior sprinkler system, an emergency aid that can greatly assist in minimizing damage caused by fires.
He said too often people have the mistaken notion that all sprinklers will come on at once in the event of fire, when that is not the case. People also resist having the systems installed because fears over water damage, Spencer said.
Fire sprinkling systems use very small lines to deliver water in flame suppression, while attack lines used by fire departments deliver anywhere from 500 to 800 gallons of water per line, Spencer said.
"A fire sprinkling system acts quickly and can make a huge difference in keeping a fire in check and helping to stop the spread of smoke and heat."
E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com