News

Actions

Update: Officials confirm man started Draper house fire to take own life

Posted at 5:16 PM, Jul 28, 2014
and last updated 2014-07-29 16:43:22-04

DRAPER, Utah – Officials have confirmed a man took his own life in the Draper home explosion.

Draper officers said the man inside the home started the fire in an attempt to end his life.

Monday Unified Fire said investigators ruled out natural gas as the cause of last week’s explosion.

Although Draper City officials originally suggested that the home explosion and fire, located at 15091 S. Junction Circle, was due to gas, investigators have since discovered with the help of canines another form of accelerant was used and contributed to the rapid fire spread.

Friday the man was hospitalized after the explosion sparked a house fire, which officials said the man started.

Neighbors say they heard a loud explosion that shook their homes.

When they went outside, they said they saw flames shooting out of the home across the street.

They say they saw the man stumbling out of his home just after the explosion.

The man later died from his injuries.

Police were already on scene when they were called to check on the man who lives at the home.