Early morning fire destroys Middleton home

ST. GEORGE — A mobile home was destroyed Tuesday morning when a fast-moving fire blazed through the ceiling and attic of the structure, leaving three people homeless.

Responders at an early morning fire that destroyed a home in Middleton. The occupants escaped unharmed, St. George, Utah, Jan. 2, 2018 | Photo by Mike Cole, St. George News

Just before 5 a.m., emergency responders were dispatched to the 700 block of 1800 East in Middleton. (See Ed. Note)

“We did have flames in the attic and in the ceiling,” St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said.

Three occupants were at the home at the time of the fire, Stoker said, but they escaped without injury.

The structure was a double-wide mobile home with a roof built on to the top of it, creating an attic space, Stoker said, adding that the fire apparently started in that space and spread down into the home.

Fire crews started on the offensive upon arrival, fighting the blaze from within the home, Stoker said, but “shortly after the captain pulled them out and went defensive.”

At that point the fire spread quite rapidly, Stoker said.

One occupant of the home who breathes with the assistance of supplemental oxygen was treated and released by Gold Cross Ambulance personnel for difficulty breathing. No injuries to other occupants or any firefighters were reported. However, a user-submitted comment on a recent St. George News Facebook post indicated that two pets are unaccounted for: “a big black fluffy cat with a gray collar and a smaller gray and White smaller cat with a purple collar work diamonds.”

St. George News attempted to contact the commenter, but no further information is available at the time of publication of this report.

Five engines from St. George, two ladder trucks, an engine and brush truck from Washington and 25-30 firefighters fought the blaze, which was in its “mop-up” stages by 7 a.m. Also responding were officers from the St. George Police Department, the American Red Cross and St. George City Energy Services.

Stoker said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time and that the home is a total loss.

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

Ed. Note: An earlier version of this story reported the fire as being on the 700 block of 1700 East, per St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker’s comments (also heard in the video in the media player above). However, Stoker contacted St. George News with the correction to his earlier comments.

St. George News reporter Ric Wayman contributed to this report.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

 

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