The Park City Fire Department responded to a fire at a log home in Highland Estates early Tuesday morning and found substantial smoke coming from its garage.
Park City Fire Chief Bob Zanetti said first responders evacuated occupants and began attacking the fire through the garage's window, before removing the door to gain access. The fire was contained in the garage and no one was injured.
Firefighters then responded to a second fire at around 9:40 a.m. in Kimball Junction.
Zanetti said when firefighters arrived, they saw flames and smoke on the roof above Storm Cycles. They extinguished the fire, but there was significant water damage due to snowpack leaking into the building. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters cut off power and gas to the building while they handled the situation, and businesses in and around the building closed their doors for the day.
John Courtney, owner of the nearby butchery Chop Shop, said he expects to reopen Wednesday morning. He said the shop was not affected by the fire except for losing access to power and gas.
Other business owners, including Storm Cycles, couldn’t comment as to how soon things would get back to normal. The bike shop, Hearth and Hill, Hill’s Kitchen and Club Pilates are all closed for the time being.
Firefighters finished restoring power, gas and making sure the area was safe around 1 p.m. At that time, businesses already had professional cleaners on site to tackle the water damage.
The causes of the fires remain under investigation.
Park City firefighters were also busy Monday, with a truck that flipped over near mile marker three on state Route 224. The driver was alone in the truck and was unharmed.
And another fire happened on Saturday, March 4 in the South Summit Fire District. South Summit firefighters responded to a home in Oakley, evacuating the family inside safely.
South Summit Fire Chief Scott Anderson said firefighters were able to contain the fire to its room of origin, and even made a rescue.
“One of the first ones inside initiated a search because the homeowners had told us that their cat was missing,” he said. “They went in and found it in a closet. They got a hold of the cat, brought him outside, reunited him with the homeowner.”
Anderson said the department has a good idea of what caused the fire, but he can’t disclose it yet.
Unrelated to any specific fire, he shared safety and fire prevention tips. He advised keeping chimneys clean and space heaters away from flammable items.
Although fire trucks pack hundreds of gallons of water themselves, it’s helpful to keep hydrants visible and accessible.
“I know this year with the snow has been brutal on keeping those clean,” Anderson said. “I have one in my front yard and I think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is getting ridiculous.’”
The last thing is—if a fire does get going—don’t open windows to vent the smoke. This just adds oxygen to the fire. Anderson recommended keeping things closed tight to smother flames and getting out of the area.
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