Fire at apartment complex near DSU injures 1, displaces 10

Written by Ric Wayman
February 15, 2016
A fire in an apartment complex near Dixie State University Monday injured one person and displaced 10 others, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News
A fire in an apartment complex near Dixie State University Monday injured one person and displaced 10 others, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2016 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A column of black smoke rose next to Dixie State University Monday as an apartment in the Canyonlands Apartments on 900 East Street caught fire, sending residents scattering and bringing almost 50 firefighters to the scene.

“Approximately a quarter after one this afternoon we received a 911 call to our dispatch center of a fire here on the 900 East block at the college housing,” St. George City Fire Chief Robert Stoker said. “The fire was located in the bottom right-hand corner of one of the units.”

One person received minor injuries in the blaze, but no one required transport to the hospital.

Dixie State University freshman Lorenzo Silva was evacuated from his apartment Monday after a fire started in a neighboring apartment, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2016 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News
Dixie State University freshman Lorenzo Silva was evacuated from his apartment Monday after a fire started in a neighboring apartment, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2016 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News

“Upon our arrival we did have one injury with a burn to the hand of the maintenance worker that was trying to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher,” Stoker said, “and we had some smoke inhalation (injuries).”

The building was quickly evacuated by firefighters, apartment managers and police officers, Stoker said.

“I was asleep in my apartment,” Dixie State University freshman Lorenzo Silva said, “and I just heard some pounding. I ran and opened my door … it was the apartment manager.”

The manager told Silva there was a fire, and Silva started collecting his belongings to evacuate as his apartment started filling with smoke.

“You could smell it. It was coming through the vents and stuff,” Silva said.

The apartment unit where the fire started was unoccupied and being used as a maintenance storage area, Stoker said. The unit was heavily damaged by the fire, and five other apartments received heavy smoke damage, leaving several of the building’s residents without a place to live.

“Right now the fire has displaced at least 10 individuals.” Stoker said, “We’re working with the Red Cross and with the property management to find accommodations for those individuals.”

Damage from the blaze is estimated at $150,000. While there was no sign of foul play, Stoker said, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

“Right now it looks like it started in the kitchen area,” Stoker said.

Responding to the fire were eight St. George Fire engines, two ladder trucks, a mutual aid engine from the Washington City, for a total of 48 firefighters. Several St. George Police officers also responded.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews | @NewsWayman

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"I wrote my first word when I was very young. I enjoyed this so much I decided to write many more words." A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Ric was bitten by the news bug as a staff writer and associate editor of the Palisades High School Tideline. After school he entered the media as a radio personality, both playing music and reporting news. Ric moved to St. George in the 1980s and was the morning personality on all three major AM stations in town. An avid amateur radio operator, Ric is looking for a good band to play in, as he plays keyboards, bass and guitar. Ric, who currently is working on developing a lifestyle that doesn't require his presence, lives in the center of St. George with his partner Terri, two snoring dogs and too many neurotic cats.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.