What, When, Where, How and Why? Questions we all have

Early Morning Devastation 4015 w 3500 S West Valley City

West Valley City firefighters responded to an early morning house fire at 4015 west and 3500 south. The call came in at about 8:00 AM, it was called in by Deputy Fire Marshal Carl Andreasen. He was at a business in the area doing an inspection follow up when he noticed the thick black smoke rising from the home. As crews arrived the fire was rolling from a shed at the rear of the home and carport.

A home located close to the one involved was threatened but the firefighters did a great job in protecting it from becoming involved.

With the fire contained to the one unit crews were able to concentrate on controlling the fire and making sure everyone was accounted for. There were early reports of people inside, but the firefighters were able to account for everyone quickly. With the amount of fire that involved the structure and everyone accounted for the fire crews fought this fire from a defensive position, meaning that we attacked from the outside first. While this is not the most glamorous way to attack a fire, it is the one that provides the greatest safety for those fighting it. Firefighters will risk their lives to fight a fire where other lives are at risk, but we are trying to be more responsible in risking lives when we know that the only thing at risk is property. The firefighters were able to knock down the fire quickly at this point, making it possible to transition to a more aggressive offensive or interior attack.

There is a lot to do at a fire, more than just extinguish the flames. We try to make sure that  everyone at the scene is safe, whether thats the firefighters, home owners or those that are just there to see whats going on, some time that is a huge chore in itself. We conduct an investigation for every fire. sometimes it is simple and obvious what cases the fire, other times it may take days or weeks to get all the information. We are always grateful for the help we receive from our partners from the West Valley City Police department

That brings me to the title of this article. The What, When and Where are usually easy to answer. The how and why are sometimes much more difficult and require more effort expertise and follow up. We appreciate the patience that we get from the public and the media. We want to make sure we get things right.
We love serving our community. It's a privilege we don't take lightly.

To everyone, Have a great Thanksgiving

Remember..... Be Safe..... Be Smart.... BE READY!
Fire Marshal Bob