SOUTH JORDAN, Utah - Two homes, one devastating fire, and damages estimated at more than $1 million.
Friday, police released surveillance camera footage of the person who could be responsible for the act of arson.
“To have it destroyed, it just makes you sick,” said Adam Bangerter, Co-Owner of Bangerter Homes.
A family's dream was engulfed in flames Monday night.
“They literally sat there and just watched the home go down,” Bangerter said.
The Bangerter's family business invested countless hours building the home for a family with five children.
“It's a tough thing for the family,” Bangerter said.
Investigators believe the fire started in a construction dumpster behind the framed house next door. Once that structure caught on fire, the flames spread to the nearly finished home.
“I would hope it wasn't intentional to burn two houses down, just dumpster fires, but even stupid silly things like that can turn into catastrophe,” Bangerter said.
Surveillance footage offers a glimpse of investigator's first person of interest. For about three seconds you can see someone sprinting on the sidewalk just steps away from the burned homes. The footage was captured on a camera near the same time frame the homes were set on fire.
“It's frustrating people would not take, you know, any respect or care for things that aren't their own,” Bangerter said.
Inside the home is gutted, the roof is collapsed, and mud is overtaking the ground. Rooms were destroyed, the dining area was ruined, and light fixtures melted.
Police need your help identifying the person who may be to blame.
The fire was set near the Bangerter Homes' entry into the Parade of Homes, but, now, for the first time in 27 years, they won't be in the show. They say it's heartbreaking, but now they and the homeowners are moving forward.
“We're going to focus on rebuilding the home for the family and bringing their dream back to life,” Bangerter said.
If you have any information on the person in the surveillance footage, you’re asked to call South Jordan Police.
