UPDATED: House fire on Diagonal Street in St. George threatening multiple homes

Written by Chris Reed
May 21, 2021

ST. GEORGE — A house on Diagonal Street caught fire during a windy Friday afternoon. The high wind is pushing the smoke, and several surrounding homes are reportedly threatened.

Smoke from a house fire on Diagonal Street, St. George, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Dylan Westover, St. George News

Just before 3 p.m., smoke could be seen rising in the distance near Diagonal Street. The smoke quickly turned into a thick gray wall that billowed from the homes as the high wind carried it across the road. The high wind is making it difficult for passersby to tell exactly what is on fire.

According to preliminary information, one home was said to be on fire with four others being threatened just after 3 p.m.

The smoke was also causing traffic to slow down due to low visibility. Loud popping noises could be heard coming from the area within the fire.

St. George Fire Department, St. George Police and Gold Cross Ambulance have responded to the scene.

Tiffany Mitchell, public information officer for the St. George Police, told St. George News that while they are not yet sure what caused the fire, they know the fire started in a smaller house.

The scene of a house fire on Diagonal Street, St. George, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

“We probably have at least four houses right now involved,” she said. “It’s not under control at all.”

Houses in the area are being evacuated, and the police are asking people to stay away.

“I know it’s interesting, but listen, we’ve got enough to worry about,” Mitchell said. “It’s hard enough to deal with this, then we have everyone else coming in, and we have to worry about their safety, so please stay away. If you see yellow tape, police cars don’t come past it.”

Motorists should be aware that the area around the fire is being blocked off.

Just before 4:30 p.m., Mitchell said five residential structures on Diagonal at 300 West and three at 500 North were being affected by the fire. A palm tree was fully engulfed on 500 North with additional flare ups in the front yards of other homes.

This is a developing story.

Updated 3:49 p.m., Interview with Mitchell was added.

Updated 4:38 p.m., Video was added, as well as additional details about how many structures are on fire.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as a reporter for St. George News, where he has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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