1992 — Nov 8, Fire (fireplace ashes in box), Home, South Jordan (Salt Lake suburb), UT– 5
— 5 Associated Press. “Five Killed in House Fire.” 11-8-1992.
— 5 USFA. “Five People Die in House Fire, South Jordan, Utah, November 8, 1992.” P. 16.
Narrative Information
USFA: “An early morning house fire left two adults and three teenagers dead in South Jordan, a suburb fifteen miles southwest of Salt Lake City. Two of the victims were visiting from Norway. Two other occupants of the two-story wood-frame dwelling escaped unharmed. All of the victims were related. The three teenage victims–two girls aged 14 and 15, and a 17-year-old male — were all siblings. Their grandmother and aunt, aged 50 and 80, respectively, also died. The teenagers’ mother, age 47, and a 22-year-old male cousin were able to escape.
“The grandmother, aunt, and cousin were all visiting from Norway and had only been staying with the family for a few days when the fire occurred.
“Firefighters received the call at 4:40 a.m. MST and arrived approximately eleven minutes later to find the home heavily involved in fire. Fire Chief Gary Whatcott indicated that the fire started in the den, located in the finished basement (lower level) of the two-story home, in a cardboard box used to store fireplace ashes, and spread to the furniture in the room of origin. The location of the fire’s point of origin cut off access to both the interior stairway and an exit to the outside at the rear of the home. Two of the victims were found on the lower level. The other three victims were found on the first floor. Both survivors were asleep in first floor rooms when the fire occurred.
“Smoke detectors were not found in the home, which was estimated to have been built within the
last twelve years. Chief Whatcott believes all of the victims had been awakened by smoke or other occupants before expiring. One of the teenage girls was believed to have been asleep in the room of fire origin and was found down the hallway in the bedroom of her 17-year-old brother.
“The surviving 22-year-old cousin reported to fire investigators that he awoke to a smoke-free room when he heard the other teenage girl shouting that something was wrong. (Her body was found in the first floor hallway after the fire.) When he opened the hallway door, however, he found heavy heat and smoke conditions and quickly closed the door. He then dressed before escaping through the bedroom window.
“The grandmother and aunt were found in a bathroom located adjacent to the bedroom in which
they had been sleeping. The 22-year-old reported that he heard their cries for help and broke the
bathroom window from the outside but was unable to rescue them.
“The teenagers’ mother was asleep in a bedroom at the far end of the first floor–in a room which had formerly been an attached garage–and escaped through the front door.
“Chief Whatcott reported that the fire devastated the otherwise peaceful residential community of 16,000 residents. He indicated he hopes to use this tragedy to drive home the message “Smoke
detectors save lives.”
“The South Jordan Fire Department has a volunteer force of 33 members. The chief is the only paid member. The department enforces the 1991 edition of the Uniform Fire Code and presents public fire safety education programs through the school system and open house events.” (USFA. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minn…. 1999, p. 16.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Five Killed in House Fire.” 11-8-1992. Accessed 5-30-2016 at: http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1992/Five-Killed-in-House-Fire/id-1299ab76e42cd70f2c3032bfe5f2588f
United States Fire Administration. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minnesota (January 1, 1989). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, 1999, 29 pages. Accessed at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-028.pdf