Bloomington home destroyed when early morning fire tears through residence, nearby homes saved

ST. GEORGE —Residents were awakened to smoke and flames when a structure fire at a residence on Bloomington Drive tore through the entire home and sent a plume of thick black smoke billowing across the sky on a frigid Sunday morning.

St. George Fire Department’s Ladder 21 battle blaze on North Bloomington Drive that destroys a home in St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Troy Rivera, St. George News

Shortly after 7 a.m., firefighters and emergency personnel were dispatched to a single-story home on the 1200 block of North Bloomington Drive where flames were reportedly seen coming from the garage area. When crews arrived, they found the home fully involved in fire and flames shooting out of the front of the residence.

St. George Fire Battalion Chief Robert Hooper said the occupants had evacuated the residence prior to St. George Fire Department’s arrival.

As firefighters battled the blaze that was spreading quickly fed by an abundance of fuels, a neighbor started banging on the doors and windows of the home directly to the east of the burning structure to alert the homeowners that a fire was burning less than 20 feet away, according to a witness at the scene.

See video at the top of this report. 

Fire crews continued to extinguish the blaze, but suppression efforts were hindered by materials inside of the home that caused the fire to spread quickly. The St. George Fire Department’s Ladder 21 was deployed as crews extended its 100-foot ladder to tackle the flames from above the roof area, part of which had completely collapsed.

The fire was extinguished before it was allowed to spread to several outbuildings that were threatened but left undamaged, Hooper said. A number of homes located within feet of the affected residence – both behind the home and on either side – as the structures to the rear of the burning house were separated only by a retaining wall.

The quick response and rapid attack on the blaze, Hooper said, helped to confine the damage to the home where the fire started and left surrounding structures untouched by the flames.

Smoke from a house fire can be seen for miles during a structure fire reported on North Bloomington Drive in St. George, Utah, Jan. 10, 2021 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

St. George Fire responded with 27 firefighters, two ladder trucks, four engines and a squad truck. Gold Cross Ambulance was also on scene in the event there were any injuries, and remained on standby in the event further assistance was needed.

Hooper also said the American Red Cross is typically contacted in these situations but the homeowner advised that other arrangements for temporary lodging and assistance will be made. If needed, the organization can step in to assist if other resources are needed by the family.

It appears the fire started in the garage and then spread toward the rear and then continued extending throughout the home. The cause of the blaze is undetermined as the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The St. George Police Department also responded to cordon off the area and prevent traffic from impeding suppression efforts, as a battalion of fire engines and trucks lined both sides of the roadway.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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