MILLCREEK, Utah — A large structure fire in the Millcreek area was seen all across the Salt Lake Valley late Tuesday afternoon. Flames were seen on multiple FOX 13 cameras and videos were shared by people nearby.
Fire officials say one person was taken to the hospital in 'alpha' condition for an undisclosed reason.
The fire was located at an apartment complex under construction at the corner of Brickyard Road and 1300 East. Flames reportedly reached up to 100 ft. as firefighters battled the 3-alarm fire.
Fourteen local businesses in a strip mall adjacent to the construction site were also damaged. Employees in those businesses told FOX 13 how they felt the heat from the fire, took what they could and ran to safety.
"By the time I got out of my building in just three or four minutes the flames were 150 feet high," said Glade Baldwin of Hyland Pharmacy. "It was so hot and intense it turned off my cell phone because my phone thought it was too hot."
"It was pretty chaotic, everybody really started running, it felt, the heat was so intense already from the fire…" said Kami Flinders with Amari Salon & Spa. "We didn't grab anything, we just ran."
More than 60 firefighters from six surrounding agencies came together to battle the flames.
Officials said the hot and dry conditions made the building go up in flames extremely quick.
"All the wood is preheated its warm with these heats and humidity drops. No moisture in atmosphere and the fuels are dry and incredibly and receptive to heat and flames," said Patrick Costin with Unified Fire Authority. "That's why they burn so quickly and so hot."
People are being told to avoid the intersection of 3300 South and 1300 East due to downed power lines. Rocky Mountain Power reports 2,500 customers in the area are without power with it possibly being restored by 10:30 p.m.
Fire officials say it could take days to determine the cause of the fire.
Fire operations are expected to continue through Wednesday night and into Thursday. The roads around the area will be closed until further notice.
Stay with fox13now.com and FOX 13 for the latest on this breaking news story
